The man who choreographed the bending arts in Avatar: The Last Airbender is teaching a real Chinese swordsmanship seminar in NYC next month
Most people don’t know that the martial arts in Avatar: The Last Airbender weren’t made up.
Sifu Kisu a Northern Shaolin kung fu master with over 50 years of study under his teacher was brought on as the martial arts choreographer for ATLA and Legend of Korra. Every bending style you saw on screen was rooted in a real martial tradition. Waterbending came from tai chi. Earthbending from Hung Gar. Firebending from Northern Shaolin. Airbending from Baguazhang.
He’s also the real-life inspiration behind Piandao the sword master who trains Sokka in season 3.
Next month, he’s coming to New York City to teach a two-day intensive on Dragon Walking Swordsmanship a living Chinese sword tradition connected to the legacy of Ming Dynasty General Qi Jiguang, who transformed ordinary civilians into one of the most effective fighting forces in Chinese history.
This isn’t a demo or a fan event. It’s 10 hours of direct instruction in a rare sword system that has been passed down through people, not books. The seminar is capped at 40 people.
If you’ve ever watched Sokka train with Piandao and thought “I want to do that”
this is genuinely the closest thing that exists in real life.
Details and registration are at https://www.nyjianghugear.com/group-events
My Students and I are attending so I’m Happy to answer any questions about the seminar or the tradition itself.