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these are some different fighting style is unique in its own way. A good way to compare the four styles is that

* Airbenders evade the attack. (Negative Jing)
* Waterbenders redirect the attack. (A Degree Between Negative and Neutral Jing)
* Earthbenders intercept the attack. (Neutral Jing)
* Firebenders preempt the attack with their own. (Positive Jing)

Yeah, what do you mean by "The Original Show?"

Straight from Wikipedia!

-Airbending is based on the Ba Gua style of Kung Fu. This martial art features swift, evasive maneuvers that evoke the intangibility of wind. Ba Gua, or circle walking, is known for its constantly circular movement which makes it difficult for opponents to attack directly. Unlike other bending disciplines, airbending lacks fatal finishing moves, being an almost entirely defensive art. [1]

Airbending is the most versatile of all the bending arts. By using circular, evasive movements, Airbenders build up massive inertia; this buildup of energy is released with massive power. It also allows for wind-based counterattacks that knock them off-balance, mimicking the sudden directional shifts of air currents. Attacks vary from simple gusts of wind to miniature tornados and cyclones. A common defensive tactic is to circle enemies, suddenly changing direction when attacked and deflecting as needed by throwing up gusts of air as a shield. Airbenders enhance their movement in battle, and can run swiftly by decreasing wind resistance, jump high and far by conjuring gusts of wind, cushion falls by creating cushions of air, and even sprint along vertical surfaces. Master Airbenders can create vortexes to entrap and disorient opponents, as well as massively destructive whirlwinds. Avatar Level Airbenders can create massive tornados and hurricanes at will. Unlike other nations, who only rarely use weapons with their bending, airbenders commonly use their staffs to augment their powers in battle. Metal fans can also be used in combination with airbending.

Airbending is the most passive of the four arts, as many of its techniques center around evading and eluding the opponent. Although airbending can be used to slice through objects, it has never been used against an opponent, as it would go against an Airbender's principles.

Like all of the bending arts, Airbending has no inherent advantages or disadvantages against the other disciplines. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory.

-Earthbending is generally based on the Hung Gar style of Kung Fu, which features heavily rooted stances and strong kicks and punches that evoke the mass and power of earth. There are exceptions to this rule -- the blind Earthbender Toph's style is based on Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Unlike other bending disciplines, earthbending maintains a balance between offensive and defensive capabilities. [1]

Earthbending uses a balance of strength and defence to overwhelm opponents. Common attacks involve levitating nearby earth and stone, and propelling them at foes by way of a punch or kicking motion. A levitated slab of rock can also double as a shield when positioned in front of a Bender. Striking the ground with feet, fists, or hammers creates localized earthquakes or fissures to throw opponents off-balance. Earthbending Masters can even turn the ground to quicksand to immobilize an enemy, or catapault into the air and soften the earth and ensure a safe landing. Some can even tunnel through the earth to out-maneuver their foes. Earthbenders even illustrate limited ferrokinetic abilities, able to magnetize their limbs and climb sheer rock walls. Earthbenders are typically barefoot, to increase their connection with the earth. Earthbenders have been known to use hammers (males) and fans (females) to augment their bending, but it is unknown if they use any other weapons. It is also known that Master Earthbenders such as Toph can create armor out of Earth. Avatar Level Earthbenders can move hill size statues at will and even fracture landmasses, as demonstrated by Avatar Kyoshi in the episodes "The Avatar State" and "Avatar Day".

The principle of Jing is the essence of battle strategy, with a total of 85 possible actions. Positive Jing occurs when one chooses to fight while negative Jing is when one chooses to retreat. The earthbending discipline stresses Neutral Jing, which involves listening, waiting, and doing nothing. King Bumi stresses this in his tactics against the Fire Nation. It is likely that the other 84 Jings are differing degrees of Positive and Negative Jings (Neutral would be the two in perfect balance), though this is up to debate.

Earthbending is not limited to rock or soil alone. A powerful Earthbender can also manipulate sand, coal, gems, crystals and other earth-based materials, even converting them from one form to another. They can even control rock candy. However, Earthbenders are unable to affect processed metals and possibly glass. The Fire Nation exploits this weakness by smelting the metal used in their armor, ships and forts.

Earthbending is the opposing bending art to Airbending. When first learning to earthbend the pupil must first learn confrontational tactics.

Like all of the bending arts, Earthbending has no inherent advantages or disadvantages against the other disciplines. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory.

-Firebending is based on the Northern Shaolin style of Kung Fu. This martial art features quick, ferocious attacks that evoke the uncompromising danger of fire. Unlike other bending disciplines, firebending has few defensive moves aside from blocking and dodging, although master firebenders like Azula and Jeong Jeong are able to create walls of fire [1].

Firebending uses concentrated barrages of fire to overwhelm opponents before striking a fatal blow. Swift, whirling kicks and punches generate diverse shapes for offensive attacks. Jabs and punches produce miniature fireballs and missiles of flame, and spinning kicks create blazing rings and arcs. Other moves include shooting jets of fire from the fingertips and creating whirling disks of flame. So far the final two have only been demonstrated by Princess Azula.

Firebender discipline stresses self-control and breath control as a means of directing and containing the fire manifested. Poor breath control means dangerously poor control of any fire generated. For this reason, breathing excercises are one of the most critical first steps for beginning firebenders.

Firebenders use their internal body heat as a source of their bending to "create" fire. This facet of Firebending is in sharp contrast to the other bending arts, which manipulate already present representations of their element. In fact, being unable to bend without those representations, such as Earthbenders without earth to bend, results in an "Imprisoned" state in which they are rendered helpless, which is a fairly monumental advantage of the firebender. They also can control the intensity of their firebending depending on the color of the flames (red to orange, orange to yellow, yellow to blue, blue to light blue). So far, only Azula has demonstrated blue and light blue firebending.

Firebenders sometimes incorporate weapons into firebending, as shown by Zuko's firebending with his broad swords. It is unknown what, if any, other weapons can be used with firebending.

Apparently, Avatar Level Firebenders can erupt volcanos at will and manipulate lava flows.

Firebending is the most aggressive of the four bending arts. It is enhanced during the day, due to its solar sympathy. With Sozin's comet, firebending is apparently greatly enhanced.

Like all of the bending arts, Firebending has no inherent advantages or disadvantages against the other disciplines. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory.

-Waterbending is based on the "Ku" style of Tai Chi, which originated in the Ku Yu Cheong lineage; it is a martial art that features slow movements and elegant forms that evoke the feel of flowing water.[1] Waterbending's strength is its defensive capabilities. Unlike some other bending disciplines, Waterbending's defensive maneuvers focus on control through turning an opponent's own strength against him, rather than directly harming the opponent. There are three known styles of Waterbending — Northern, Southern, and Foggy Swamp style — and may be others.

Waterbending provides a versatility of experience. The extent of the Waterbenders' power ranges from creating small, lashing whips and waves to massive tsunamis and walls of water. It has been shown that, when near a large body of water, Waterbenders can form waterspouts to lift themselves or other objects and surf on the surface of water using the feet, although this is likely very difficult to coordinate. Avatar-level Waterbenders hold the potential to create ocean-sized tidal waves, as evidenced by Aang when he enters the Avatar State in "Siege of the North, Part 2."

Waterbenders seemingly possess thermokinetic abilities regarding their element, meaning that they can freeze, melt, evaporate or condense the water they manipulate at will. However, these abilities may be less associated with altering the temperature of water than they are with controlling its spacing and structure at a molecular level. Changing the phase state of water allows for multiple techniques in the course of a battle, from encasing an opponent in ice to hiding behind a wall of mist.

A member of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, Huu, has shown that Waterbenders can manipulate the vines and roots of plants by bending the water within their capillaries. It would seem that other members of this tribe may be able to do so as well.

Select Waterbenders such as Katara possess the rare ability to heal wounds by redirecting energy paths (or chi) throughout the body, using water as a catalyst. Physically, this draws on the restorative properties of water to organisms such as human beings that are primarily composed of it. In the Northern Water Tribe, this ability is reserved for female Waterbenders, who are restricted from learning fighting tactics.

A Waterbender's weakness is his or her need for an external source of water, though a skilled Waterbender can concentrate the natural moisture in the air or on the ground into a usable form[2]. As a result, travelling Waterbenders carry a water skin with them at all times. A second vulnerability, however, lies within the use of one's arms as a primary means of Waterbending. As of yet, there has only been one instance in the series where Waterbending was performed with the lower body — when Katara anchored her feet in ice during her fight with Master Pakku — but another lower body technique is outlined on the Waterbending scroll stolen by Katara, from which both she and Aang learned a technique named the Water Whip.

Waterbending is the opposing bending art to Firebending. Like all the bending arts, Waterbending has no inherent advantages or disadvantages over the other disciplines. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory. So far, the only time a weapon has been used with Waterbending is when avatar Kyoshi uses her fans to cause a wave in "Avatar Day".

It can be reliable as long as sources/bibliographies are included.
And to me it sounds more accurate than other wikipedia entries I've seen.