They are trained in fighting with a unique style of self defense, teaching their bodies to work in super natural ways.
This does take a life time of dedication, Their outlook on life, the ability to balance two opposites in perfect harmony makes them extraordinary people and similarities can be noticeable between these monks, as well as the ones within WoW.
Origins Of The Monk
"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." - WoWWiki.
Drawing by Lynxia
Much like the real Buddhism monks, they ‘are culturally studious and refine their lifestyle within their own company and practices. The Pandaren are the greatest of monks, their teachings and understanding of their culture has been passed through the other races throughout Azeroth. Their philosophies have really shaped the world we are drawn in to.
Monks though have also been known to be a part of the Scarlet crusade well before the events of Mists for how long for, I'm unsure, but there is also a monk some of you may be aware of and that's Malygos. That's right folks, the former Dragon aspect of the Blue dragon flight, in his human form is in actual fact, a monk.
Monks can also be traced back to the Runemasters who are still within the world of Warcraft today. They merge brute strength with arcane magic’s.
Covering their bodies with mythic tattoos and often imbuing them with energies to increase the hand to hand combat. While the Rune masters are known for not wearing much armour, they do this to prevent hindrances and to inscribe their runes to demonstrate their subtlety and finesse.
The Rune master is a free spirit, more at home within the deep vegetation of a forest than a city and can be found around thousand needles and Feralas. They are considered to be close to nature, but not like Druids or Shamans but in their own unique way. These traditions date back to the age of the titans, way before any shamanistic teachings.
Dwarves also shared the same heritage but all too soon forgot their teachings and the art was lost. However, with the expedition to Kalimdor with Janie Proudmoore, they encountered tauren who re learnt the art and offered what little they could of the Rune master abilities, even though the dwarves and tauren were never neutral with each other, they always shared an interested in the ways of the runemaster. See if you can match up their similarities between the Runemasters and the Monks!
Way of the monk
so with a rich history and an abundance of lore behind them, you may be asking, Why should I play a monk? What makes them different from any other class, especially leather type classes?
These are questions I cannot answer for people specifically as much as I try but I will go over and highlight what draws us to the monk, what makes them valuable and what you can expect from them.