WI: Abrahamic religions practice martial arts
- Thread starter Fex
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If I get your question right, you were asking if it were possible that there were Christian /possibly European, monastery orders where the monks practised some form of martial art as part of their religious practice?
Hmmm... May be some different form of the Knights Templar or the Knights Hospitaler. OTL, the warrior knights were a pretty elite bunch, knights first, nobles second and monks third. But may be a more open monastery order could discover the joy of quarterstaff fighting as a way to release tension after 8 hours of methodiously copying holy texts.
Hmmm... May be some different form of the Knights Templar or the Knights Hospitaler. OTL, the warrior knights were a pretty elite bunch, knights first, nobles second and monks third. But may be a more open monastery order could discover the joy of quarterstaff fighting as a way to release tension after 8 hours of methodiously copying holy texts.
I'm imagining Vikings trying to attack monasteries along the east coast of Britain, only to be repulsed by badass monks. 
I was watching discovery and they were talking about asian martial arts like the buddists. Breaking bricks with your hands and head, bending sharp spears with your throat, etc. I was thinking about that kind off thing where even small churches have monks, priests and nuns training themselves and maybe even some off the commoners. Nobels probably getting trained by priests who have more power. Like Analystical said a monk defeating vikings.
Maybe the Zealots or Sicarii could invent an early version of Krav Maga, starting as a form of street fighting and revolutionary activity against the Romans, and then developing into part of the practice of certain Jewish sects. Afterward, the martial art might be adopted by Christians as a way of resisting persecution, and endure among Jews and Copts into the present.
I could see churches who got raided by vikings practicing a kind off martial arts that allows them to disarm their enemies and then give swift blows to preasure points. Maybe they kept practicing it even after that in areas that sees a lot off war through history. The practice might have become something cultural if done long enough after that.
There is a claim of ancient Jews historically having such a martial art, which was retained by exilic communities like the Habbani Jews and Mountain Jews who retained their martial traditions that later allegedly formed the basis of a lesser-known latter day martial art called Abir founded by one Yehoshua Sofer taking inspiration from the Hebrew alphabet, basing moves and stances on Hebrew letters (though some critics claim at worst it is little more than re-branded Kuk Sool Won).
Irish martial arts
There are a number of traditional martial arts native to Ireland. The Irish language term for "martial arts" is ealaíona comhraic.[1] Traditional styles include Dornálaíocht (boxing), Coraíocht (wrestling), Speachóireacht (kicking), and Batadóireacht (stick fighting).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_martial_arts
There are a number of traditional martial arts native to Ireland. The Irish language term for "martial arts" is ealaíona comhraic.[1] Traditional styles include Dornálaíocht (boxing), Coraíocht (wrestling), Speachóireacht (kicking), and Batadóireacht (stick fighting).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_martial_arts
Martial art is that, art for war, the thing here is having officially santioned one, like the example of priests and sheiks teaching their congregants as part of the faith.
And the monks promptly get slaughtered since putting an unarmed guy up against a man in armor wielding a weapons is actually an even worse idea than it sounds.I'm imagining Vikings trying to attack monasteries along the east coast of Britain, only to be repulsed by badass monks.
Ninja monks from the Order of St. Carradine. Blowdarts. Throwing Stars-of-David. Smoke bombs. And of course the dreaded Five Perditions Exploding Heart Technique which instantly can kill even an armored foe.