Monk

A monk is a member of a monastic order, in Europe this usually refeers to robe-clad monastery-dwelling catholic priest devoted to a life of solitude and prayer (depending on the order, really).

In gaming, the term "Monk" usually reefers to the Asian version of monastery dweller, whereas the medieval European monk idea is more in line with the Cleric class. This is thanks to D&D, which introduced the Monk class as a martial arts expert, much in line with kung-fu movies where people dance on bamboo leaves while beating each other up with super-fast punches and kicks.

However, even the western monk has some things in common with the martial-artist stereotype, as they were often portrayed as big, burly men, like Robin Hood's companion Little John.