Flavor and Characterization for a scholar Monk

[Secret Wizard]

So, I'm playing a Pathfinder game soon and I wanted to try out a specific Monk archetype that grants knowledge skills and makes the class more focused on scholarly pursuits in general (the Perfect Scholar from Inner Sea Intrigue).

Does anyone have some cool ideas to apply to make wise, knowledgeable and martially powerful Monk?

[Waker]

I can't seem to find the archetype on the SRD, so my advice is sharply limited. The only thing I can say is to take a peek at the Kirin Style feats, as those let you use Knowledge skills to get a bonus to combat.

[Secret Wizard]

Kirin is cute but it has swift action bloat.

Don't worry about the archetype itself though, I'm just looking for info on flavor and character, more than actual optimization.

[Waker]

Not concerned about mechanics eh? I can work with that.
Were there any specific areas of scholarship that you wanted your guy to work on? One of my favorite parables concerning the nature of truth and subjectivity could be of use to your guy. Look up the "Elephant and the Three Blind Men". Your guy could be the type to go out and see the world, but still keep an open mind since no one has all the information.
Not a Monk in the D&D sense, but many advances in science were made by religious men like Mendel or Bacon. Perhaps your characters Order was less emphasizing karate chopping people and more about studying anatomy and medicine?

[Secret Wizard]

I could work with that -- how would you weave in the part where, yannow, I'm really good at punching things into it?

[Waker]

Well, one of the theories on the origins of things like yoga was to prevent early monks from falling asleep during meditation. So what started off as simple calisthenics for the order developed into a rigorous training regime. Or perhaps due to seclusion, the order needed to defend itself from hostile threats, but being super nerds decided to figure out the most efficient means to develop their combat skills. Or they took the "A Sound Mind is in a Sound Body" proverb, flipped it and said that in order to be a good scholar, you must also be a good warrior.

[Gildedragon]

couple ideas:

The Perfectionist: Their intense study of anatomy, and disinterest in violence has them engaging in a sort of "One battle one strike" mentality. Apply damage to very precise points to end the battle as fast as possible.

The Internal Alchemist: Research, meditation, training, and experimentation are seen as the four pillars of their monastic practice. They seek to transmute their body into something else, or through the transmutation attain a higher goal. They refine the body, experiment with its processes, and imbibe strange herbal tonics. Their practice is not random, but carefully thought out to make their bones as hard as steel, make them capable of breathing fire, and perhaps even live forever.

The Herbalist: The natural world is vast and glorious, and in the isolation from the world of man, the monk comes to love nature and seek to understand it. They tend to the monastery's garden and infirmary, researching the virtues of various plants and their compounds, studying their heredity, their breeding and blooming; what sort of soils they like, how much sun and water, etc...

[Geddy2112]

Most philosophy advocates at least moderate physical ability-few advocate becoming weak or frail, or gorging onself and being an out of shape pig.

Socrates said "No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." Nitchze had the Ubermench, Sun Tzu wrote a book about how to win wars, Buddha rejected the ascetic lifestyle as the weak body did not end suffering, etc.

Also, as a scholar monk that knew about nature, it is likely you know the ways to stay and be healthy and strong, and that in nature it is the flora and fauna that are the strongest that live the longest.