The Aetherial Fist
By Iniera Blackthorne
Dictated by Alekse Sevantai
Chapter 1: History of the Art
The art of Aether Monkhood is an expansion into the arts of the Fists of Rhalgr, of Ala Mhigo. It combines the physical martial arts of the fists with the aether manipulation abilities of thaumatury and other atheric magics. At the core, Aether Monks use their own internal aether to empower themselves, giving themselves capabilities beyond a normal monk.
The original conception and practice was by Jaesi Dornier, a gridanian who eventually made her away to become a trainer at the Pugilist's guild in Ul'dah. She acquired advanced learning in the fist from an Ala Mhigan she met in the Quicksand. She learned that Fists would often meditate before combat, gathering aether around them in preparation for a fight.
This led Jaesi to visit the Thaumaturge guild, seeking to learn more about aether and how it was harnessed. She questioned if this ritual to gather aether before combat actually had an effect on the Monk's performance or not.
While at that guild, she learned all sorts of tips and tricks about harnessing personal aether, aetheric thresholds and how to call upon them. No one knows what gave her the idea to combined magic with the fist, or what her first trials are like.
We do know that she soon returned to the pugilist's guild and attempted to teach her fellows this newfound theory.
Jaesi's fellow trainers looked at her with some distrust. They didn't understand her new art, or the theories behind it. Though based on fist principals and Thurmagy theories, they considered it experimental and unsafe. The guildmaster quickly shut her attempts down, telling her they were not in line with the goals of the pugilist's guild, which strived to provide skills purely in the realm of martial arts. Eventually, Jaesi was dismissed as a trainer.
After being dismissed, and suffering a devastating end to her engagement, Jaesi no longer felt like UL'dah was home. Her wandering took her to Gridania, where she stayed for some time, furthering her arts. Before leaving Ul'dah, Jaesi had spoken with, and then absconded with, a patron of the Pugilist guild, a young woman by the name of Iniera.
Jaesi had approached the young woman and asked if she would accompany her. She offered to train Iniera in all she knew. Iniera, having never been to Gridania, or trained in martial arts at all even after having been a fan all her life, was interested in the offer. Jaesi spoke to her parents, informing them of her intent and promising care and training for their child. Iniera's parents, however, would have nothing of it. They had heard the rumors about Jaesi and her 'dangerous' aetheric training and did not want their daughter involved. At the age of twenty-three Iniera took maters into her own hands and left without their blessing.
Jaesi had a way about her, something that captivated the younger woman and easily painted the dream of Gridania in Iniera's mind. The talk of the Twelveswood, the elementals, all the other things the more naive woman could imagine and more. On top of that, she also presented her new aetheric arts as the future of martial combat, holding limitless potential. Iniera was hooked.
Soon enough, however, young Iniera learned that there was more to monkhood then dreams and wishes. The time for hard work came quickly, and Iniera's own innate talent in Aetheric manipulation was.. less then impressive. Her first year required a lot of growing up, and accepting a new frame of mind. She had to see beyond all she knew of the world, Uld'ah, its crowded streets, corrupted peoples and hopeless refuges. She had to accept a world of magic, aether, primals, the void, all things she had only heard in stories before.
The struggles often left Jaesi frustrated and stressed, but she never let her pupil see it. She always displayed patience and encouragement, pushing her student to try harder and achieve more. Jaesi made an excellent teacher, and to Iniera, it seemed as if there was nothing she did not know.
Although Iniera struggled to understand the most basic of natural laws, she watched Jaesi turn those laws and her own theories into what she would later coin 'Aether Monkhood.' It was awe inspiring for the student at times, and often provided the motivation she needed to fight onward in her studies.
It was three years of hard training before Iniera felt like she was making progress, becoming a true pupil of her Master. They traveled the Twelveswood, seeking various aether to learn ways to use and channel it. It was a year after that when Jaesi got sick.
It seemed harmless at first. Jaesi complained of dizziness after a few outings in the Twelveswood, but soon enough her symptoms progressed. Exhaustion, night terrors, delusions, paranoia. Jaesi would scream in fury and then break down into tears. Iniera struggled to care for her ailing Master, but it was clear that she was only getting worse.
Eventually, after a visit from a conjurer of Gridania, Jaesi was diagnosed with Aether Sickness. Iniera disagreed with the diagnosis and sought a second opinion, only to be told the same thing. It would appear the Pugilists had been right, that her art was damaging to her own health. Two nights after the second diagnosis, Iniera awoke to find her Master standing above her, armed with her deadly claws, aether swirling around her in a violent furor.
Her Master did not appear to be confused, panicked or weakened any more, and in utter, stone cold silence attempted to slay her pupil.
Alone as they were, camped in the middle of the Twelveswood, there was no way for young Iniera to call for, or expect to receive, any help. She was on her own against a woman far better trained and much more deadly. Running was not an option, so wrapped in aetheric energy was Jaesi that few alive could have hoped to out run her.
The young pupil could do nothing but roll into her stance and attempt to defend herself, hoping for a miracle but expecting to die. The young woman held back her Master for what seemed like hours, but was surely only a few minutes, barely able to stay alive as she used everything she learned to protect herself.
Jaesi knocked her pupil to the ground and pounced upon her, intent on driving her clawed weapon into the young woman, but Iniera's instincts saved her, rolling to the side just in time. The claw became stuck in the ground, and Jaesi was forced to abandon it, moving to strike with the other.
In desperation, Iniera jerked the other claw from the ground and thrust up with it in blind panic, striking her Master in the abdomen. The blow was mortal, and poor Iniera was forced to watch as her Master, a woman she had come to care for and rely on, slowly faded into the Aether, all the aether that she had collected in her lifetime gathering around her to carry her off this plane.
However, all that Aether gathered in one place, while Iniera was still using her combat rituals and arts, was quickly pulled into her. Now the student herself was drowned in the same Aether that had driven her Master mad.
Driven beyond consciousness, Iniera had no idea what happened while she was out of control. She couldn't know that she had attacked Quarrymill or that she had suffered several arrows from the Adder's there before being driven off, but when the young woman awoke a few hours later, she had no wounds.
She awoke feeling like she was no longer a part of reality, knowing her life would never been the same.
Chapter 2: Basics of Aether
At its core, Aether is an energy source. Its known forms are as a gas, invisible except at high density, and solid in the form of crystals. Lesser known is that Aether can be stored in a liquid form as well. However, this form is both highly volatile and very poisonous.
Aether also has the ability to be aspected to an element. Fire, Air, Earth, Lightening, water, Ice and more. A person's Aether is naturally unaspected, and all creatures are born with a certain level of Aether. Some liken Aether to a soul. Those debates are best left to philosophical books.
Aether can be forced to manifest in our world through many ways, though the primary method is death. When living things die, the Aether which they are comprised of is released into nature around them. This Aether will attempt to escape this plane, back to its plane of origin, unless an outside force acts upon it. Outside forces can re-absorb this aether, cause it to crystallize and harden, or; in very rare instances; cause it to liquefy.
The theoretical tunnels that connect our world to the next, are not limitless. In a perfect world, Aether should not exist in Hydaelyn, as it should all immediately cross over. However, with the amount of death and destruction in our world, it can take years, even centuries for the Aether of some beings to fully transfer back into the next plane.
Because of this, there is 'free' aether a plenty. Aether sitting around, just waiting to be drawn upon. Still, Aether is invisible in low concentrations, and not very useful at such levels. It must be gathered and made to manifest.
This Aether can be manifested into magical effects, such as a an arcanists Ruin spell, or as creatures. Two types of Creatures are known to be made purely of Aether. Elementals, which are always aspected, and Primals, which are a unique anomaly.
Aetheric Monkhood, however, focuses purely on Internal Aether, not free Aether, to empower their abilities. They develop their own internal Aether and help it to grow in density and power the more they use it, much like a muscle grows in size and strength as its exercised. This can be augmented by drawling Free Aether into the body, but free Aether outside the body can not be used.
Although current theories say most people are born with the same amount of internal Aether, their potential Aether can very greatly. One persons maximum Aether can very from the next, meaning some will naturally have a higher potential as an Aetheric Monk then some others.
This limit is called a person's Aetheric Threashhold. It represents the maximum amount of Aether that person can contain inside them at any given point. This should not be confused with Hydaelyn's Aetheric Threshold, which is what we call the rate at which Aether leaves our world.
A person with a lower Atheric Threashhold will not succeed as an Aetheric Monk, or any other profession which requires a high level of internal Aether. Unfortunately there is no known method to increase a persons Aetheric Threashhold.
There are theories to what happens should one attempt to exceed their Aetheric Threshhold. One theory says nothing happens at all, they simply are unable to do so, and can absorb no more Aether until they expend some. The other theory, and perhaps more realistic one, is that one enters a permanent state of Aether sickness. A theory currently believed to be the cause of Jaesi's own breakdown.
It is possible for someone with a higher amount of Aether and a strong sense of it to judge another's Aetheric Threshold simply by being near them.
Chapter 3: Techniques.
All techniques rely on calling upon internal aether and applying it in some way. Thus, the most basic ability and the first to Master is the ability to summon ones Aether for use. While usually encased and guarded heavily deep within one's form, an aether monk has learned to release the natural barriers around their reserve and channel it to the part of the body, or the entire body, to be used.
The barrier around one's reserve can be manipulated and controlled through meditation and focus. After much practice, and with a clear mind, a monk learns to open that barrier and direct its energies. Closing yourself off from all of your senses helps to focus your mind inward and allows you to become in tune with your own aether, sensitive to its state.
Young monks can envision their Aether like a small candle, hidden away in a box. Focus on this image until everything else fades away around you. Until the only that that exists is the box and the flame within it. Then, when the image is firm in your mind, real enough that you can feel the heat of the flames... Open the box.
It should be noted; however; that there are dangers to this. There is a reason one's internal Aether is usually hidden so deeply and closed off so tightly. Bringing down your own internal barriers not only allows your Aether to escape, but can allow Free Aether to come in. This is what happened to Iniera when her Master died. Her barriers still down from the combat, all of that Aether gathered by her opponent and released on death was pulled into the younger monk.
Even this can be a boon however. In a controlled method, this can be used to expand your internal Aether. Done slowly, over time, an Aetheric Monk can grow stronger through this method, though its still important to remember their Aetheric Threshhold. The limit still applies to this Aether.
Thus is the cycle of growth for an Aetheric Monk, always seeking to take on more Aether, in a controlled and safe way, to fuel their abilities and grow more powerful in their art, but always the risk of Aetheric Sickness must temper their ascension.
It is rather easy to tell when someone has released or relaxed their barriers, as the Aether is drawn to the surface of the skin. There it reacts with the air, and the Free Aether floating around us, and will take on the form of flame or mists of various hues.
The color of those flames or mists is based on a persons own, unique, aetheric signature, and thus, no two monks would ever bare the same hue and pattern.
Aether, once freed this way, can then be channeled into a single part of the body, or the entire body itself. One may be tempted to channel it all into their foot, for a single kick, for instance. This, however is often not the best use of the Aether. A kick is more then just the contact point between your foot and your opponent. Your other foot must be able to counter the force behind your kick in order for you to remain standing.
A punch delivered without a counter force will lose more of its energy pushing you away from the target then inflicting damage. Fortunately, it is actually easier to channel Aether into all of you then to a single point, making such arguments moot. By the time you have the skill and focus to channel your Aether to a single point, you should better understand what doing such will result in.
Chapter 4 Uses
Once called upon, there are a limitless number of possibilities as to what can be done with this Aether. We will only list the most common uses here, and will divide them by Offensive and Defensive maneuvers for easier understanding.
Defensive abilities can be summarized as manipulating one's internal Aether to block, deflect, avoid or counter an opponent's strikes. offensive abilities are the use of ones Aether to extend the potential of their physical attacks.
In general, offensive abilities are easier to master, as they are fairly passively granted. They can be applied to any normal martial arts skills such as a roundhouse kick or an uppercut.
Defensive abilities require precise control over one's aether and are useless unless the person's reaction time is quick enough to make use of them. You know your going to throw a punch long before you ball up your fist, but the need to brace against a surprise kick can come at any time.
Based on this, though it is a matter of preference, Iniera herself preferred offensive techniques. Defense is more difficult, but keeping your opponent in guard can lower your own need for it, allowing more rapid offensive strikes.
Evasion is also a defensive technique that should be relied upon. Most opponents cannot follow a target that moves at the speeds aether can grant.
Successful application of offensive, evasive and defensive techniques truly is dependent on the combat situation and learned through experience. A person can practice a single strike a thousand times, but if they can never land it in a fight, its useless.
As such, it is recommended that sparring sessions with peers should be undertaken as frequently as possible, as it will begin to develop the mindset and thought processes needed in combat.
It should be noted that while an aether monk's capabilities are enhanced, their stamina remains as it normally would. It's true that their attacks require less effort, but there is still a point at which one would become to exhausted to continue. Injuries sustained would of course also hamper this. Pain tends to distract the mind, and begin to disperse the intense focus required for aether control.
By Iniera Blackthorne
Dictated by Alekse Sevantai
Chapter 1: History of the Art
The art of Aether Monkhood is an expansion into the arts of the Fists of Rhalgr, of Ala Mhigo. It combines the physical martial arts of the fists with the aether manipulation abilities of thaumatury and other atheric magics. At the core, Aether Monks use their own internal aether to empower themselves, giving themselves capabilities beyond a normal monk.
The original conception and practice was by Jaesi Dornier, a gridanian who eventually made her away to become a trainer at the Pugilist's guild in Ul'dah. She acquired advanced learning in the fist from an Ala Mhigan she met in the Quicksand. She learned that Fists would often meditate before combat, gathering aether around them in preparation for a fight.
This led Jaesi to visit the Thaumaturge guild, seeking to learn more about aether and how it was harnessed. She questioned if this ritual to gather aether before combat actually had an effect on the Monk's performance or not.
While at that guild, she learned all sorts of tips and tricks about harnessing personal aether, aetheric thresholds and how to call upon them. No one knows what gave her the idea to combined magic with the fist, or what her first trials are like.
We do know that she soon returned to the pugilist's guild and attempted to teach her fellows this newfound theory.
Jaesi's fellow trainers looked at her with some distrust. They didn't understand her new art, or the theories behind it. Though based on fist principals and Thurmagy theories, they considered it experimental and unsafe. The guildmaster quickly shut her attempts down, telling her they were not in line with the goals of the pugilist's guild, which strived to provide skills purely in the realm of martial arts. Eventually, Jaesi was dismissed as a trainer.
After being dismissed, and suffering a devastating end to her engagement, Jaesi no longer felt like UL'dah was home. Her wandering took her to Gridania, where she stayed for some time, furthering her arts. Before leaving Ul'dah, Jaesi had spoken with, and then absconded with, a patron of the Pugilist guild, a young woman by the name of Iniera.
Jaesi had approached the young woman and asked if she would accompany her. She offered to train Iniera in all she knew. Iniera, having never been to Gridania, or trained in martial arts at all even after having been a fan all her life, was interested in the offer. Jaesi spoke to her parents, informing them of her intent and promising care and training for their child. Iniera's parents, however, would have nothing of it. They had heard the rumors about Jaesi and her 'dangerous' aetheric training and did not want their daughter involved. At the age of twenty-three Iniera took maters into her own hands and left without their blessing.
Jaesi had a way about her, something that captivated the younger woman and easily painted the dream of Gridania in Iniera's mind. The talk of the Twelveswood, the elementals, all the other things the more naive woman could imagine and more. On top of that, she also presented her new aetheric arts as the future of martial combat, holding limitless potential. Iniera was hooked.
Soon enough, however, young Iniera learned that there was more to monkhood then dreams and wishes. The time for hard work came quickly, and Iniera's own innate talent in Aetheric manipulation was.. less then impressive. Her first year required a lot of growing up, and accepting a new frame of mind. She had to see beyond all she knew of the world, Uld'ah, its crowded streets, corrupted peoples and hopeless refuges. She had to accept a world of magic, aether, primals, the void, all things she had only heard in stories before.
The struggles often left Jaesi frustrated and stressed, but she never let her pupil see it. She always displayed patience and encouragement, pushing her student to try harder and achieve more. Jaesi made an excellent teacher, and to Iniera, it seemed as if there was nothing she did not know.
Although Iniera struggled to understand the most basic of natural laws, she watched Jaesi turn those laws and her own theories into what she would later coin 'Aether Monkhood.' It was awe inspiring for the student at times, and often provided the motivation she needed to fight onward in her studies.
It was three years of hard training before Iniera felt like she was making progress, becoming a true pupil of her Master. They traveled the Twelveswood, seeking various aether to learn ways to use and channel it. It was a year after that when Jaesi got sick.
It seemed harmless at first. Jaesi complained of dizziness after a few outings in the Twelveswood, but soon enough her symptoms progressed. Exhaustion, night terrors, delusions, paranoia. Jaesi would scream in fury and then break down into tears. Iniera struggled to care for her ailing Master, but it was clear that she was only getting worse.
Eventually, after a visit from a conjurer of Gridania, Jaesi was diagnosed with Aether Sickness. Iniera disagreed with the diagnosis and sought a second opinion, only to be told the same thing. It would appear the Pugilists had been right, that her art was damaging to her own health. Two nights after the second diagnosis, Iniera awoke to find her Master standing above her, armed with her deadly claws, aether swirling around her in a violent furor.
Her Master did not appear to be confused, panicked or weakened any more, and in utter, stone cold silence attempted to slay her pupil.
Alone as they were, camped in the middle of the Twelveswood, there was no way for young Iniera to call for, or expect to receive, any help. She was on her own against a woman far better trained and much more deadly. Running was not an option, so wrapped in aetheric energy was Jaesi that few alive could have hoped to out run her.
The young pupil could do nothing but roll into her stance and attempt to defend herself, hoping for a miracle but expecting to die. The young woman held back her Master for what seemed like hours, but was surely only a few minutes, barely able to stay alive as she used everything she learned to protect herself.
Jaesi knocked her pupil to the ground and pounced upon her, intent on driving her clawed weapon into the young woman, but Iniera's instincts saved her, rolling to the side just in time. The claw became stuck in the ground, and Jaesi was forced to abandon it, moving to strike with the other.
In desperation, Iniera jerked the other claw from the ground and thrust up with it in blind panic, striking her Master in the abdomen. The blow was mortal, and poor Iniera was forced to watch as her Master, a woman she had come to care for and rely on, slowly faded into the Aether, all the aether that she had collected in her lifetime gathering around her to carry her off this plane.
However, all that Aether gathered in one place, while Iniera was still using her combat rituals and arts, was quickly pulled into her. Now the student herself was drowned in the same Aether that had driven her Master mad.
Driven beyond consciousness, Iniera had no idea what happened while she was out of control. She couldn't know that she had attacked Quarrymill or that she had suffered several arrows from the Adder's there before being driven off, but when the young woman awoke a few hours later, she had no wounds.
She awoke feeling like she was no longer a part of reality, knowing her life would never been the same.
Chapter 2: Basics of Aether
At its core, Aether is an energy source. Its known forms are as a gas, invisible except at high density, and solid in the form of crystals. Lesser known is that Aether can be stored in a liquid form as well. However, this form is both highly volatile and very poisonous.
Aether also has the ability to be aspected to an element. Fire, Air, Earth, Lightening, water, Ice and more. A person's Aether is naturally unaspected, and all creatures are born with a certain level of Aether. Some liken Aether to a soul. Those debates are best left to philosophical books.
Aether can be forced to manifest in our world through many ways, though the primary method is death. When living things die, the Aether which they are comprised of is released into nature around them. This Aether will attempt to escape this plane, back to its plane of origin, unless an outside force acts upon it. Outside forces can re-absorb this aether, cause it to crystallize and harden, or; in very rare instances; cause it to liquefy.
The theoretical tunnels that connect our world to the next, are not limitless. In a perfect world, Aether should not exist in Hydaelyn, as it should all immediately cross over. However, with the amount of death and destruction in our world, it can take years, even centuries for the Aether of some beings to fully transfer back into the next plane.
Because of this, there is 'free' aether a plenty. Aether sitting around, just waiting to be drawn upon. Still, Aether is invisible in low concentrations, and not very useful at such levels. It must be gathered and made to manifest.
This Aether can be manifested into magical effects, such as a an arcanists Ruin spell, or as creatures. Two types of Creatures are known to be made purely of Aether. Elementals, which are always aspected, and Primals, which are a unique anomaly.
Aetheric Monkhood, however, focuses purely on Internal Aether, not free Aether, to empower their abilities. They develop their own internal Aether and help it to grow in density and power the more they use it, much like a muscle grows in size and strength as its exercised. This can be augmented by drawling Free Aether into the body, but free Aether outside the body can not be used.
Although current theories say most people are born with the same amount of internal Aether, their potential Aether can very greatly. One persons maximum Aether can very from the next, meaning some will naturally have a higher potential as an Aetheric Monk then some others.
This limit is called a person's Aetheric Threashhold. It represents the maximum amount of Aether that person can contain inside them at any given point. This should not be confused with Hydaelyn's Aetheric Threshold, which is what we call the rate at which Aether leaves our world.
A person with a lower Atheric Threashhold will not succeed as an Aetheric Monk, or any other profession which requires a high level of internal Aether. Unfortunately there is no known method to increase a persons Aetheric Threashhold.
There are theories to what happens should one attempt to exceed their Aetheric Threshhold. One theory says nothing happens at all, they simply are unable to do so, and can absorb no more Aether until they expend some. The other theory, and perhaps more realistic one, is that one enters a permanent state of Aether sickness. A theory currently believed to be the cause of Jaesi's own breakdown.
It is possible for someone with a higher amount of Aether and a strong sense of it to judge another's Aetheric Threshold simply by being near them.
Chapter 3: Techniques.
All techniques rely on calling upon internal aether and applying it in some way. Thus, the most basic ability and the first to Master is the ability to summon ones Aether for use. While usually encased and guarded heavily deep within one's form, an aether monk has learned to release the natural barriers around their reserve and channel it to the part of the body, or the entire body, to be used.
The barrier around one's reserve can be manipulated and controlled through meditation and focus. After much practice, and with a clear mind, a monk learns to open that barrier and direct its energies. Closing yourself off from all of your senses helps to focus your mind inward and allows you to become in tune with your own aether, sensitive to its state.
Young monks can envision their Aether like a small candle, hidden away in a box. Focus on this image until everything else fades away around you. Until the only that that exists is the box and the flame within it. Then, when the image is firm in your mind, real enough that you can feel the heat of the flames... Open the box.
It should be noted; however; that there are dangers to this. There is a reason one's internal Aether is usually hidden so deeply and closed off so tightly. Bringing down your own internal barriers not only allows your Aether to escape, but can allow Free Aether to come in. This is what happened to Iniera when her Master died. Her barriers still down from the combat, all of that Aether gathered by her opponent and released on death was pulled into the younger monk.
Even this can be a boon however. In a controlled method, this can be used to expand your internal Aether. Done slowly, over time, an Aetheric Monk can grow stronger through this method, though its still important to remember their Aetheric Threshhold. The limit still applies to this Aether.
Thus is the cycle of growth for an Aetheric Monk, always seeking to take on more Aether, in a controlled and safe way, to fuel their abilities and grow more powerful in their art, but always the risk of Aetheric Sickness must temper their ascension.
It is rather easy to tell when someone has released or relaxed their barriers, as the Aether is drawn to the surface of the skin. There it reacts with the air, and the Free Aether floating around us, and will take on the form of flame or mists of various hues.
The color of those flames or mists is based on a persons own, unique, aetheric signature, and thus, no two monks would ever bare the same hue and pattern.
Aether, once freed this way, can then be channeled into a single part of the body, or the entire body itself. One may be tempted to channel it all into their foot, for a single kick, for instance. This, however is often not the best use of the Aether. A kick is more then just the contact point between your foot and your opponent. Your other foot must be able to counter the force behind your kick in order for you to remain standing.
A punch delivered without a counter force will lose more of its energy pushing you away from the target then inflicting damage. Fortunately, it is actually easier to channel Aether into all of you then to a single point, making such arguments moot. By the time you have the skill and focus to channel your Aether to a single point, you should better understand what doing such will result in.
Chapter 4 Uses
Once called upon, there are a limitless number of possibilities as to what can be done with this Aether. We will only list the most common uses here, and will divide them by Offensive and Defensive maneuvers for easier understanding.
Defensive abilities can be summarized as manipulating one's internal Aether to block, deflect, avoid or counter an opponent's strikes. offensive abilities are the use of ones Aether to extend the potential of their physical attacks.
In general, offensive abilities are easier to master, as they are fairly passively granted. They can be applied to any normal martial arts skills such as a roundhouse kick or an uppercut.
Defensive abilities require precise control over one's aether and are useless unless the person's reaction time is quick enough to make use of them. You know your going to throw a punch long before you ball up your fist, but the need to brace against a surprise kick can come at any time.
Based on this, though it is a matter of preference, Iniera herself preferred offensive techniques. Defense is more difficult, but keeping your opponent in guard can lower your own need for it, allowing more rapid offensive strikes.
Evasion is also a defensive technique that should be relied upon. Most opponents cannot follow a target that moves at the speeds aether can grant.
Successful application of offensive, evasive and defensive techniques truly is dependent on the combat situation and learned through experience. A person can practice a single strike a thousand times, but if they can never land it in a fight, its useless.
As such, it is recommended that sparring sessions with peers should be undertaken as frequently as possible, as it will begin to develop the mindset and thought processes needed in combat.
It should be noted that while an aether monk's capabilities are enhanced, their stamina remains as it normally would. It's true that their attacks require less effort, but there is still a point at which one would become to exhausted to continue. Injuries sustained would of course also hamper this. Pain tends to distract the mind, and begin to disperse the intense focus required for aether control.
