Once you reach the Skadu Atlas, you'll find the martial arts skill in the Shadow of the Eldtree. At least, you'll find what you need to get it. To unlock the fist as a weapon, you'll need to find a key character, use an emote, and fight to the death to gain punch power in the Shadow of the Eldtree. It's not a lot of steps, but if you don't know which character you're looking for, it'll be more complicated than it needs to be. So, let's explain how to get martial arts in Elden Ring to smack around in the Shadow Realm and how to fight Dryleaf Dane.
How to Master Martial Arts in Elden Ring
The Shadow Martial Arts of the Elder Tree, or Dry Leaf Arts, After the defeat Lelana Twin Moon Night Access Skadu Atlas Region. Once you're here, head straight into the Land of Blessings you see ahead. You can't miss it as one of the Mikela Crosses will be sticking out of the ground. There are two shiny collectibles here. The first is a Skadu Tree Fragment in the Shadow of the Eldtree, so grab it. The other is a note that says “Monk's Letter” and the “May the best triumph” emote.
The monk's letter reads:
“If you wish to walk the warrior's path, seek me in the East. When you find me, challenge me to a fight. No words necessary.”
It simply says “if you think you can try hard enough, come and give it a go,” and the mention that “no words are necessary” suggests that emotes will probably help.
Where to find Dry Leaf Dane in the Shadow of the Elder Tree
To actually find Monk Dryleaf Dane in “Shadow of the Eldtree”, head straight east as the note says and look for Mikela's Cross and a blessed site called “Moose Ruins”. It's near a crumbling arch and some towers. Here you'll find a Dane in a wide-brimmed hat who won't talk to you. This is where the emote comes in handy.
hang onBefore you do anything,If you perform the May the Best Win emote in front of him, the screen will go dark And when it disappears again, you're in the same place but surrounded by a small force field ready for battle, so use any consumables you need before triggering anything – if you do want to activate something, you'll have a few seconds before Dane comes running up to attack you.
How to beat the monk in Shadow of the Erdtree
The fight isn't too hard, but you'll need to have your Skada Tree Blessing leveled up a few times. I fought him at level 5 and it still took a few tries. The key is to avoid the rapid flurry of punches he throws out, which can stun you in a matter of seconds and take away your health. He also has a leaping attack that can close the distance surprisingly fast. He also has a palm blast attack that will deal a ton of damage and take you down. The counter to all of them is his slow summoning of projectiles that can be easily avoided.
The best way to defeat him is to make full use of your weapon's range. His attacks are devastating, but since he only uses his hands, even a small sword can give you an advantage. Stay away from him as much as possible and move around to avoid his swinging fists. Leaping attacks are risky, but you can catch him in the air when he's attacking. Similarly, some of his combos are high-moving, so if you can avoid the line of fire, you can attack from a different angle while he's still attacking.
Defeating him will return you to the Barrier-Free Land of Grace, where you can pick up a new item. This will give you a set of hand wraps called Dry Leaf Arts and the Dane's hat. The latter aren't great (but they look good), but the Dry Leaf Arts unlock martial arts. Equip them like weapons and you'll be able to unleash your punches and kicks throughout the rest of the DLC. This isn't the end of your martial arts journey; there's another option you can unlock later, many Later, almost at the end. So you'll have to worry about it when you get there.
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