Macaco Preto Ju-Jutsu emulates the leg movements of the monkey, the nimbleness of the praying mantis and the shoot of the snake. Monkey steps enable better speed and spirit in moving and the skill of the Praying Mantis combined with that is the emulations of this grappling art. Hands are brisk as shooting stars and eyes keen as lightening. The Ferocious Monkey’s defense is to attack, moving like water resting like a mirror and responding like  an echo.It is based on control and dominance on the ground, in addition to the use of  submission holds to end a fight. Technique is used to merely realize this strategy.
   
    A principal strategic element emphasized is the notion of kuzushi, keeping an opponent  off  balance so that he could be controlled and thrown. Further, joining together the power  of  all our  body parts, shuchuryoku, focused power into the weak parts of our opponent  using  Chin Na  which means to seize and control. Grabbing techniques control and lock  the  opponent's body.  Macaco Preto uses dislocations of the joints and attacking selected  acupuncture points as  targets along with kicking, striking, and throwing. Macaco Preto  defines combat in the theory of  phases of combat. The Free-Movement phase, with both  fighters on their feet, with no grip on  each other. Such freedom of movement allows fast  footwork, shooting, and striking. The  Standing clinch. The skills that are crucial in this  phase  of combat include attaining and  breaking a grip: off balancing an opponent and keeping one’s on balance and posture, striking in the clinch; takedowns appropriate to clinch fighting; standing submissions.

      The ground phase totally changes the nature of a fight. Movement in a supine position is very different from movement in a standing position, and it requires extensive training before it becomes natural. Great control is possible on the ground because bodyweight and the ground itself can be used to pin an opponent and confine his movements. The key skills in ground combat are the application of submission holds, the ability to work your way out of inferior positions, and the skill to move into increasingly dominating positions.

      As the centuries have passed from the Mongols, to the Indian Wrestlers and Chinese Wrestlers to Japanese Ju-jutsu there has been a tradition of primitive no-holds barred fighting, practitioners emerged, gradually perfecting it. It is these generations that brought the art to the twentieth century.