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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 2808217" data-attributes="member: 19675">Still begging to differ- the 1Ed AD&amp;D Monk was NOT European.Look at the Monk abilities listed in the 1Ed PHB p31-32.&nbsp; The Open Hand damage is a form of martial arts.&nbsp; The ability to enter a cataleptic state models the demonstrated ability of certain Eastern monks to use biofeedback techniques to lower repiration and heart rates when they enter deep meditative states.&nbsp; The ability to communicate with animals resembles legends of monks who are so in tune with nature that they can gather information from the turn of a blade of grass many miles away.&nbsp; And the fabled &quot;Quivering Palm&quot; is nothing more than a version of the &quot;Dim Mak&quot; accupressure death touch attack.&nbsp; These (and the other powers to a lesser extent) are all more in line with Eastern monks than the Westerners who share the name.Remember, the Western monks had no tradition of martial arts or combat training.&nbsp; A simple browse through things like the directives of St. Benedict would show you that the Western monks duties were basically pray, work around the monestary (be it gardening, cleaning or transcribing books), say Mass/minister to the locals, and pray some more.&nbsp; Training in combat was usually not part of the package.Contrast that with the Shao Lin tradition, in which perfection of the body was deemed to be as important as perfection of the mind, and in which practice of martial arts katas was as much a meditative tool as it was learning how to fight.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 2808217, member: 19675"] Still begging to differ- the 1Ed AD&D Monk was NOT European. Look at the Monk abilities listed in the 1Ed PHB p31-32. The Open Hand damage is a form of martial arts. The ability to enter a cataleptic state models the demonstrated ability of certain Eastern monks to use biofeedback techniques to lower repiration and heart rates when they enter deep meditative states. The ability to communicate with animals resembles legends of monks who are so in tune with nature that they can gather information from the turn of a blade of grass many miles away. And the fabled "Quivering Palm" is nothing more than a version of the "Dim Mak" accupressure death touch attack. These (and the other powers to a lesser extent) are all more in line with Eastern monks than the Westerners who share the name. Remember, the Western monks had no tradition of martial arts or combat training. A simple browse through things like the directives of St. Benedict would show you that the Western monks duties were basically pray, work around the monestary (be it gardening, cleaning or transcribing books), say Mass/minister to the locals, and pray some more. Training in combat was usually not part of the package. Contrast that with the Shao Lin tradition, in which perfection of the body was deemed to be as important as perfection of the mind, and in which practice of martial arts katas was as much a meditative tool as it was learning how to fight. [/QUOTE]

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