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Avatar Comic Review - Chibis Volume 2 Sokka's Boomerang Class

I hated that all Kyoshi Warriors could qi-block now. Idk, it was bizzare. And enough time has passed, I have considered that it might be my not wanting to see a change but nope. It just doesn't do it for me. Although I believe someone who knows how to write action might be able to execute it properly (to be honest, all the ATLA media I've consumed other than the cartoon itself has been BAD™ when it came to action... That includes the new Aang movie too).

So, getting it out of the way that a better writer could've written better fight sequences for Imbalance—the fact that remained: it was established at the end of the cartoon that Ty Lee taught the Kyoshi Warriors qi-blocking in prison.

Now I'm left wondering why Mai didn't bother learning it from her. (Other than the obvious reason that they wanted them both to have varied skill-sets). Mai is delighted when Ty Lee qi-blocks Katara. And while I peg her as someone who doesn't beat herself over not being the best (like Azula and to a lesser extent Zuko) (note: Azula and Ty Lee are both better fighters than her and she seems to accept it) I really do wonder why she wouldn't ask Ty Lee to teach her...

Would it be at that point in time she and Ty Lee didn't feel safe with each other?

I wonder if Ty Lee would've been reluctant to teach her, and if so, Mai would instinctively know that. I can imagine Ty Lee being apprehensive—but I can also imagine her being equally enthusiastic about teaching. Or maybe that was limited to aura reading and walking on your hands and not qi-blocking? But I'm not sure, I don't have a good grasp on Ty Lee.

If anyone has any theory, please feel free to drop them in reblogs.

(Also note that Azula was seen carrying Mai's knives in TDoBS; Bryke have gone on record saying Azula picked Mai and Ty Lee because she wanted to pick their skill-sets too. It'd also be interesting to know why Azula wouldn't want to learn qi-blocking. After all, it's what makes Ty Lee so terrifying).

(Also, if it's because Azula has a superiority complex about asking Ty Lee to teach her... I think if she really wanted it she'd have found a way to make it sound like the honour was all Ty Lee's).

EDIT: it makes sense for Mai to not learn it because she's a ranged fighter and qi-blocking requires you to get up and close to the enemy. Not only is it a low reward, high risk skill it one doesn't have Ty Lee's acrobatics, I can also see Mai in general being uncomfortable with the idea of getting that close to people she's fighting.

The Kyoshi Warriors Issue 2

Fire and Family Treasury Library Edition

And in the same comic we find out that while accepting, they water tribes are not as open about queer relationships, prefering to keep It "private"