Earthbending is an elemental bending discipline capable of manipulating the Earth element. Stone is the prototypical earthbending material, and is considered easiest to work with by most practitioners, but dirt, clay, soil, silt, mineral dusts and sand are all valid substrates for earthbending. The manipulation of fine particulate inorganic matter - sandbending - is a kind of specialized bending. The manipulation of metals considered is a theoretical possibility, but as yet, no one is known to have invented metalbending.
Earthbending is, unsurprisingly, the forte of the Earth Kingdom, who employ it extensively in architecture, transport and war. Ethnic Earth Nationals in other states (including minor states of the Earth Nation that are not part of the Earth Kingdom) may also have earthbending, though opportunities for formal training in it are mainly found in the Earth Kingdom.
Befitting a country as large as the Earth Kingdom, there are many styles of earthbending with different emphases and traditions. The great majority of earthbenders with formal training are only familiar with one.
Earthbending Traditions
Middle Way
Orthodox School
Royal Army School
Rustic School
Southern Way
Omashu Martial School
Gaoling School
Eastern School
Northern Way
Yonggan School
Ganjinese School
Sandbending
Northern Sandbending Style
Southern Sandbending Style
Ethnic Minority Earthbending Schools
Southern Mountain Way
Cabbage Sprout Way