The Great Northern Way (大北道) of earthbending, also just called the Northern Way (北道) is a style of earthbending associated with the Northern and Western provinces of what is now the Earth Kingdom. It was developed by the semi-nomadic and settled peoples of these regions contemporaneously with the style that developed in the central and southern areas of the Earth Kingdom. It is culturally associated with the Yonggan and Ganjinese ethnic groups, each of whom have their own schools within the Northern Way. It is noted for a formalized system of instruction and education that has persisted since the days of the Ri Dynasty.
Yonggan School
The Yonggan school of earthbending is practiced by the ethnic minority of the same name. During the Nara ascendancy, in which a Yonggan conquest dynasty ruled in Ba Sing Se, it also influenced the Royal Army School. Rapid movement in concert with the Earth is a focus of the school, as is trapping and burying enemies rather than directly damaging them. When practitioners do make ranged attacks, fast strikes with small, hard stones are favored; these are believed to be harder to notice and therefore dodge or block. This probably reflects the legacy of the Yonggan in fighting lightly-armored, mobile Abka tribes. It also emphasizes features for crowd control and defending against multiple opponents.
The Yonggan school is less spiritual than the related Ganjinese school, and tends to a practical focus, but it does include internal exercises to strength the qi. The taming and training of badgermoles is considered an important adjunct, and this school incorporates some techniques that require the participation of one's partner badgermole.
Ganjinese School
The Ganjinese school of earthbending is a proud and conservative tradition, but one originating in the cosmopolitan Ganjinese empire. Like the related Yonggan school with which it has a long history of mutual influence, it emphasizes mobility and subtle traps rather than direct damage. Practitioners of this school often focus on the signature techniques of the Stone Blade, using their mobility in the Earth to close rapidly and make deadly attacks with sharpened stone. It is a considered a good school for fighting multiple opponents at once and for terrain control, similar to the Yonggan school.
Training is long, with spiritual strength and moral purity being weighted very heavily by masters, who are often strict disciplinarians. The high lethality of the Stone Blade techniques are cited as a reason why masters must choose very carefully who should be instructed in them. Training with non-bending weapons, such as the Ganjinese sword, is considered a useful adjunct, helping to develop the fluid upper body movements characteristic of the style.
The famous Earth Sage Jianzhu, earthbending tutor of Avatar Kuruk, had mastered his native Ganjinese school alongside the Orthodox school, which probably contributed to his notorious effectiveness in combat.
Degrees of the Great Northern Way
Diamond - Grand Master
The paramount degree, only the grand master of the Great Northern Way is this (except that his or her designated successor may also be granted the degree sometimes.) It is granted by the Grand Master and five Emery Degree holders, or ten Emery Degree holders if the Grand Master is deceased and there is no Diamond Degree holder alive. The incumbent Grand Master lives in Gansanjiao and most of the Emery Degree holders live in the Yonggan homeland or Ganjingguo. The Grandmaster must be a master of both Ganjinese and Yonggan schools.
Emery - Master
Second-highest, granted by one Diamond or three Emery degree holders. Typically there are about thirty Emery degree holders in the Earth Kingdom, about twenty of which live in Yonggan lands or nearby in the North. Four of them were officers in the banner armies serving the Earth Kingdom when they existed. Typically, having attained the Emery degree, a practitioner focuses on mastering the school (Ganjinese or Yonggan) that they are less familiar with.
Topaz (third-highest) - Teacher
Granted by one Emery or two Topaz degree holders. There are several hundred Topaz degree holders. Some of them are officers Earth Kingdom's armies. Considered qualified to teach the art to lower degree holders and initiates.
Quartz (fourth-highest) - Competent Practitioner
There are a few thousand Quartz Degree holders. A minority of military earthbenders trained in the Northern Way are this.
Obsidian (fifth-highest) - Journeyman
There are several thousand Obsidian degree holders. Most military earthbenders trained in the Northern Way hold this degree.
Initiate
This is the term for a student of the Northern Way who has not yet attained a degree.