If you’ve been following the nun beat with the zealous devotion it deserves, you might be aware that Nepalese nuns have yet again won the title of Coolest Nuns On Planet. Last year, Nepal foisted famed songstress/Buddhist nun Ani Choying Dolma upon the world, American Idol -style . (Dolma donated all her multi-nation-tour proceeds to needy families in Nepal.) Now the BBC reports that Nepalese nuns from an 800-year-old Drepka sect are practicing kung fu every morning, in part because it’s helping them gain the same respect and status that’s bestowed upon their male counterparts, Buddhist monks. Oh, and also so they can punch people: “Another nun, Konchok, also from India, says she likes the kung fu because it gives her strength. ‘It’s very helpful for our safety. If somebody teases us or something, then we can hit them and be more powerful,’ she says.”
The nuns quoted in the piece only have praise for their new kung-fu habit (excuse the pun), and they’ve been giving demonstrations to other sects, hoping to get more women on board with martial arts. Paging Whoopi Goldberg: Please put down the Poise , I’ve got your Sister Act III screenplay right here.
