Drunken Monkey
Chinese martial art
- Country of origin
- People's Republic of China
- Type
- Chinese martial arts
Drunken Monkey Form or Drunken Monkey Pole Form of Kung Fu is a Chinese martial art, a variation of the Monkey Style.
This style is different from Zui Quan (Drunken Fist), as the practitioner is imitating gestures of an intoxicated monkey, rather than a human fighter.
Drunken Monkey does not begin with drunken-like gestures, but rather the drunken aspect enters the forms in the middle-section when the practitioner plays the movements of a monkey drinking stolen wine.
The Drunken Monkey style is visually completely different when compared to Zui Quan and is shorter in sequence. This style, however, is considered more artistically beautiful, acrobatic and agile compared to Zui Quan. This does not necessarily mean that it is more or less effective in actual combat.
Contrary to claims in movies, actually being drunk does not improve drunken monkey or drunken fist. It is based on the concept of imitating being drunk; actually being drunk is not required and may impair one's speed and ability to perform complex movements.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q113636 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.