Although small and apparently weak, the monkey is tenacious, extremely agile, fleet of foot, and hard to catch. In particular apart from its aptitude for grabbing, light jumping, controlled falling, and lunging, it is possessed of the ability to turn its hand and arm - once locked at the wrist - into a single, long, and very powerful hand, which it uses for defence or attack.

Practitioners of Monkey Style apply the exceptional evasive tactics and fighting skills of the monkey to their own defensive and fighting techniques in a way which is extremely difficult to counter.