Monk

A monk is a melee-based class who are able to be divided into three different specializations: Brewmasters, Mistweavers, and Windwalker monks. Monks are skilled combatants and are still relatively new to the professions amongst the Horde and Alliance.

Class Overview
''When the pandaren were subjugated by the mogu centuries ago, it was the monks that brought hope to a seemingly dim future. Restricted from using weapons by their slave masters, these pandaren instead focused on harnessing their chi and learning weaponless combat. When the opportunity for revolution struck, they were well-trained to throw off the yoke of oppression.''

''Masters of bare-handed combat, monks never rely solely on the need to have a weapon in their hands to defend against their enemies. Although most widely known to the outside world for their fearsome jabs and flying kicks, they refuse to limit themselves to a single method of combat. Many monks prefer instead to “soak it up” and seem to revel in the intoxicating effect of absorbing blow after blow while their companions press the attack. Other monks specialize in calling upon the restorative power of the mists to balance the good and bad energy within people, returning them to good health and fortune.''

''Monks bring a unique martial arts style to any fight, and harness an exotic form of magical energy that’s unfamiliar to those who practice other arcane arts. They seek spiritual balance in life and in combat, and as dangerous as Monks can be on the battlefield, they’re rarely looking to pick a fight without just cause. They view the world through a different lens, finding power through serenity and inner peace—then expressing it through artful combat techniques and powers that mend life. Perhaps most surprisingly, Monks are also adept at producing powerful brews they consume to aid them in battle.*''

* adapted from this page.

History
Nearly 12,000 years ago, long before the War of the Ancients, the continent now known as Pandaria was ruled by a monstrous race of warlords known as the mogu. Their reign was incredibly harsh and brutal. Mogu taskmasters forbade their slaves to carry weapons. During these dark times, many pandaren tried to lift the spirits of their beleaguered brothers and sisters. They were the storytellers, the brewmasters, and the healers who helped knit their oppressed society together in the midst of darkness.

As the mogu empire began to fray, the pandaren saw an opportunity for a revolution. Because they had no weapons, they trained common people to fight with their unarmed fists and feet. They mastered the use of positive energy - or 'chi' - to empower themselves.[3] These unarmed resistance fighters would become the first monks.

For the history of the spread of the ways of the monk to the other races, see Monk races.

Despite both using the Spirit of Life, monks are differentiated from shamans in their inability to ask the elements for help.

* adapted from this page.

Notable Monks

 * Kang, the Fist of First Dawn
 * Chen Stormstout
 * Taran Zhu
 * Aysa Cloudsinger
 * Ji Firepaw
 * Master Bruised Paw
 * Mojo Stormstout
 * Brother Korloff
 * Eramas Brightblaze