You'll find the Shadow of the Erdtree martial arts skill when you reach Scadu Atlus. Or at least what you need to get it, as unlocking fists as a weapon means finding a key character, using an emote and then fighting to the death to earn the power of punching in Shadow of the Erdtree. It's not a lot of steps but it's enough to make things trickier than they need to be if you don't know who you're looking for. So let me explain how to get martial arts in Elden Ring so you can slap your way around the Realm of Shadow, and how to fight Dryleaf Dane.
How to get Martial Arts in Elden Ring
Martial Arts in Shadow of the Erdtree, or Dryleaf Arts, can only be accessed after you defeat Rellana Twin Moon Knight and access the Scadu Atlas region. Once you reach here, make a beeline for the Site of Grace you should see ahead - you can't miss it as there's one of the Miquella Crosses sticking out of the ground. There's two glowing collectible items here, one is a Shadow of the Erdtree Scadutree Fragment so grab that, while the next one is note called The Monk's Missive, and an emote called May the Best Win.
The Monk's Missive says:
"Seek me to the east if you wish to pursue the way of the warrior. When you find me, you will challenge me to a bout. There's is no need for words."
That's just a fancy way of saying 'come and have a go if you think your hard enough', while the 'no need for words' mention is hinting the emote is probably going to be useful.
Where to find Dryleaf Dane in Shadow of the Erdtree
To actually find the monk Dryleaf Dane in Shadow of the Erdtree, head directly east as the note says and look out for another of Miquella Crosses and a Site of Grace called Moorth Ruins. It'll be near a crumbling arch and some towers. You'll find Dane here in a wide brimmed hat that won't talk to you, which is where the emote comes in.
WAIT, before you do anything though, as when you perform the May the Best Win emote in front of him the screen will fade to black and when it fades back up you'll be in the same place but enclosed by a small forcefield ready for a fight. So use any consumables you want before triggering things. You will have a few seconds before the Dane runs over and attacks as well, if you want to activate anything.
How to defeat the monk in Shadow of the Erdtree
The fight isn't too hard but make sure you have a few Scadutree Blessing levels under your belt. I took him on at level 5 and it still took a couple of goes The key thing is to avoid the fast flurry of quick blows he can unleash, as these can stun you and strip your health in seconds, as well as a leaping attack that can close the distance surprisingly fast. He also has a palm blast attack that deals a huge amount of damage and knocks you flat. Counter to all that is a slow to conjure projectile that's easy to dodge.
The best way to defeat him is to use whatever range you can get from your weapon. His attacks can be devastating but, because he's only using his hands, even a small sword will give you an edge. Use what distance you can to stay away from him and stay mobile to avoid his swinging fists. While the leaping attack can be dangerous you can catch him in the air when he uses it. Similarly, some of his combos involve a lot of movement, so if you can avoid the line of fire you can come in from another angle with an attack while he's still going.
Defeat him and you'll reappear back at the Site of Grace without the barrier, and with a new item to pick up. This will get you a set of hand wraps called the Dryleaf Arts and Dane's hat. While the latter isn't great (but does look good) the Dryleaf Arts unlocks martial arts. Equip them like a weapon and you'll be able to punch and kick your way through the rest of the DLC. This isn't the end of your fighting journey as there is another option to unlock later but it's much later, like almost at the end later. So that's something to worry about when you get there.
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