Chi Blocking
Chi Blocking is an ancient technique that has been practiced in secret for centuries. It is a special ability that Ty Lee, and later the Equalists, utilized in combat against their enemies. Blocking someone's chi renders the victim's muscles useless and temporarily disables a bender's abilities. This earned Katara's fear and spite after Ty Lee blocked her chi in Omashu. Chi blocking is mainly used by non-benders as a way of self-defense or even an attack form.
Method
Chi blocking is utilized by hitting pressure points with quick jabs and punches, and must be done rapidly, often giving little time for the recipient to react. A master of this fighting style can attack those pressure points with relatively light jabs using their fingers and knuckles. Even people wearing strong, but not necessarily heavy, armor are not spared from its effects. Any fingers can be used, such as a index or thumb; with practice, one could even use their feet to disable others' chi flow with a swing of the foot.
Although a very useful method of fighting, chi blocking is most effective against an opponent not expecting such a light blow to be so devastating. It is less effective against someone who either knows chi blocking or who has battled a chi blocker in the past. Additionally, chi blocking cannot work against an opponent wearing specialized armor.
Effects
Chi blocking stops a bender's chi flow, reduces their muscular strength, and disables their bending abilities temporarily; this would be particularly devastating for people who rely solely on their bending to fight.
Depending on the level of mastery, it is possible to block the opponent's chi to certain degrees: It is very possible to block someone's chi to the point of simply disabling their bending, or to the point of disabling their bending and preventing them from moving the attacked limb. It stands to reason that if the latter method is used on the spine, it is very possible to to paralyze the entire body.
Though non-benders can also have their chi flow blocked, there are some differences in effect. Whereas chi blocking would temporarily stop a bender from bending, performing the act upon a non-bender in certain spots results in the loss of voluntary movement in that part of their body. The effect occur slower, and only afflict the struck areas.
Chi Blocking in Combat
Chi blocking is in many ways the civilian's answer to countering element benders. By utilizing knowledge of the human body and the flow of the ki throw the body's chakra network, a person is able to paralyze both muscle and bending ability via a series of precisesly delivered strikes to pressure points and chakra gates. While a powerful tool, Chi Blocking is not perfect; the user's skills determine the success of the blocking; and without the practice needed to create perfect muscle memory of the movements needed to block, the chi blocker is inefficient and unable to block large numbers of people quickly. Chi blocking is only effective if you are able to make physical contact with the target; and as such, it is rarely, if ever, effective on anyone of a higher rank then yourself. If the situation allows, and an adequate (as determined by staff) description of how you were able to do so is given, a chi blocker will be allowed to effect, within the confines of thier own rank abilities, someone of a higher rank.
The currently accepted site standard for the number of people able to be chi blocked by one chi blocker per post are as follows:
Novice: 1
Adept: 3
Master: 8 (6 if chi-blocking is taken by a bender as their advanced art.)
To reiterate, the preceding numbers are merely the number of people able to be chi blocked in any form by a single chi blocker of each rank. The following guide will give the level of chi blocking; the amount of paralysis over the body or the level of bending blocking possible for each rank.
Novice: Two limb effect: the chi blocker can paralyze or remove the bending from any two limbs of the body. Lethal blocking is impossible.
Adept: All limbs: the four limbs can be paralyzed and bending stopped; however this will not effect bending via the mouth or the ability to breathe.
Master: Perfect paralysis: The entire body, facial movements, and throat based bending are completely stopped. No movement is possible, no bending is possible. Can be lethal if the blocker stops the heart or lungs.