coordinated maneuvers and tandem trip seem like they would both be well worth the investment :)
i would suggest that you choose a secondary form of attack, once you hit 6th level and higher you will encounter ALOT of monsters you cannot trip.
as a staple i would suggest a maneuver master monk, you get a free trip maneuver with every full attack, and would let you choose a secondary maneuver, like dirty trick, as a fall back for when you cant trip something.
traits i cant think of anything other then heirloom weapon which would let you gain a free +2 when using your weapon of choice, i love bolas.
feats that you should make room for no matter what would be combat reflexes, improved trip, greater trip, vicious stomp and fury's fall.
oh one thing about fury's fall, you cant use agile maneuvers and furys fall together. so you need to make strength your main stat or take furys fall at level 1 and have dex be your main stat.
Not entirely useful, but since I had fun looking at it in another thread: White haired witch could be interesting.
This witch archetype trades in hexes for a hair natural attack that can start a grapple on a successful hit as a free attack (without becoming grappled yourself). It uses Int instead of strength for the combat maneuver check, and at fourth level it can reach up to 10 feet away and it can do a trip as a swift action. Since non of this makes mention about how it would work in conjunction of a full attack, I think you could do a flurry of blows, starting with the hair attack, do grapple or trip, and then just wail on them. Releasing your grapple is also a free action if you want to just leave them battered on the ground afterwards.
This would lead to a problem with MAD, though, since unlike most white haired witch builds, you'd still need good strength to carry out your other hits, and you'd still have to deal with your need for Wisdom as a monk. But it could still be interesting build.
How about this? Pure monk with a Meteor Hammer.
Level Relevant class features, bonus feats, character feats:
M1: flurry of blows, combat reflexes, Stunning fist, unarmed strike, quick draw, human feat(your choice).
m2 improved grapple.
m3 fast movement, Maneuver training, exotic weapon proficiency (Meteor Hammer).
m6 improved trip, Ki throw.
m9 fury's fall.
m10 improved bull rush.
m12 improved Ki throw.
You can throw opponents within reach with a meteor hammer at any other opponent you threaten. Sweet. 2nd opponent gets bull rushed. 1st opponent falls prone. You get a free +1 shield bonus when using Fortress mode with Meteor Hammer. d8 damage. Downside, no flurry. But I think Fortress mode is better. I would say quick draw for Attack of opportunity or single attacks on the move so you can position yourself to affect both opponents. And you can choose to drag the tripped opponent 5 ft. closer to you so you can follow up with a FoB or stunning attack on your turn. He’ll be prone. So you’re safe.
If you can't flurry with the meteor hammer anyway, you might look at one of the archetypes that trades flurry for something else. You could go Master of Many Styles or Maneuver Master (as already mentioned).
I've been drooling over meteor hammer, too. :-)
FLowing monk is the way to go. You get this at level 1(see below).
Redirection (Ex): At 1st level, as an immediate action, a flowing monk can attempt a reposition or trip combat maneuver against a creature that the flowing monk threatens and that attacks him. If the combat maneuver is successful, the attacker is sickened for 1 round (Reflex DC = 10 + 1/2 the monk's level + monk's Wisdom modifier to halve the duration), plus 1 additional round at 4th level and for every four levels afterward (to a maximum of 6 rounds at 20th level). The monk gains a +2 bonus on the reposition or trip combat maneuver check and the save DC for redirection increases by 2 if the attacker is using Power Attack or is charging when attacking him. The benefit increases to a +4 bonus and an increase of the saving throw by 4 if both apply.
At 4th level, a flowing monk can use redirection against an opponent that the flowing monk threatens and that attacks an ally with a melee attack. At 8th level, a flowing monk can make both a reposition and a trip maneuver as part of a single immediate action with this ability. At 12th level, a flowing monk can use redirection against any opponent that attacks him in melee, even if the flowing monk is not threatening the opponent who attacks him. A flowing monk can use this ability once per day per monk level, but no more than once per round. This ability replaces stunning fist.
If you allow content from splat books, then there is one from Kobold Quarterly..."New Paths: The Expanded Monk & Ninja" which has a new monk archetype : Monk of Glorious Endeavour.
It allows for ANY weapon to be used. But only one. If you switch to any other weapon then you have serious penalties (loss of AC, loss of movement, etc.) so the caveat here is pick a damn good weapon that you think you'll love for the whole campaign. There is no 'take-backsies' on this one.
I am currently in the build mode of one of these for Carrion Crown using a Meteor Hammer as the focus weapon. You gain set bonus feats depending on the type of weapon. So go nuts with a disarm, trip, reach, etc weapon. Just remember it's all you get. I have typed a synopsis of the class below. I like the hammer for the reach, trip, drag and bonus to AC.
Weapon Type
Bonus Feats - Light
Agile Maneuvers, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, and Weapon Finesse. At 6th level, add Mobility and Sidestep. At 10th level, add Spring Attack and Teleport Tactician.
One-Handed
Blind-Fight, Improved Disarm, and Improved Trip. At 6th level, add Greater Disarm and Greater Trip. At 10th level, add Disarming Strike and Tripping Strike
Two-Handed
Cleave, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, and Shield of Swings. At 6th level, add Furious Focus and Greater Sunder. At 10th level, add Cleaving Finish and Sundering Strike.
Ranged
Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and Rapid Reload. At 6th level, add Improved Precise Shot and Snap Shot. At 10th level, add Improved Snap Shot and Shot on the Run.
Chosen Weapon: A monk of the glorious endeavor emphasizes unity with his chosen weapon. Whenever a monk wields a weapon other than his chosen weapon, he loses his AC bonus, his fast movement ability and flurry of blows ability as if he were wearing armor or carrying a medium or heavy load (and he suffers normal non-proficiency penalties). A monk of the glorious endeavor may still make unarmed strikes without penalty.
Flurry of Blows: Starting at 1st level, a monk of the glorious endeavor can make a flurry of blows using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with his chosen weapon. A monk of the glorious endeavor’s flurry of blows otherwise functions as normal for a monk of his level.
Unarmed Strike: A monk of the glorious endeavor places emphasis on striking with his chosen weapon rather than with his fists or feet. His damage die increases for unarmed strikes, therefore, occur more slowly: 1d8 at 8th level, 1d10 at 12th level, and 2d6 at 16th level. A monk of the glorious endeavor’s unarmed strikes otherwise function as normal for a monk of his level.
Focused Training: At 1st level, a monk of the glorious endeavor receives the Weapon Focus feat. At 5th level, they receive the Weapon Specialization feat. At 10th level, they receive the Greater Weapon Focus feat. These feats must apply to the monk’s chosen weapon.
Style Specialization: Starting at 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter, a monk of the glorious endeavor selects a bonus feat dependent on his chosen weapon’s type: light, one-handed, two-handed, or ranged. All monks of the glorious endeavor add Dazzling Display to the list of feats at 2nd level, Shatter Defenses at 6th level, and Improved Critical and Deadly Stroke at 10th level. All other bonus feats must be selected from Table 1-1: Bonus Feats by Weapon Type. This ability replaces the monk’s normal bonus feats. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them, but he loses all benefits of these feats when using a weapon other than his chosen weapon.
Distant Grasp: At 5th level, a monk of the glorious endeavor may spend 1 ki point as a move action to call his chosen weapon into his hand. This ability has a range of 30 ft., and it must target a weapon the monk has carried for at least 24 hrs. If another creature holds the weapon, the monk may instead make a disarm combat maneuver check at a –5 penalty to tear it free of the creature’s grasp. The disarm attempt may be made without provoking an attack of opportunity. This ability replaces purity of body.
Unyielding and Unchanging: At 7th level, a monk of the glorious endeavor may spend 1 ki point as an immediate action to gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against effects targeting his chosen weapon (such as warp wood or heat metal) and a +4 to CMD against disarm or sunder attempts until the beginning of the monk’s next turn. This bonus increases to +5 at 12th level, and +6 at 17th level. This ability replaces wholeness of body.
Extension of the Self: At 9th level, a monk of the glorious endeavor may use any feat that benefits his unarmed strikes with his chosen weapon. This ability replaces improved evasion.
Unstoppable Strike: At 11th level, a monk of the glorious endeavor may spend 1 ki point as a swift action to ignore up to 5 points of DR when attacking with his chosen weapon. At 16th level, he may spend 2 ki points as a swift action to ignore up to 10 points of DR. This ability lasts until the beginning of the monk’s next turn. This ability replaces diamond body.
Ascendant Strike: At 15th level, once per day, the monk of the glorious endeavor chooses one target and adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his attack rolls. He adds his monk level to all damage rolls made against the selected target for one round. Regardless of the target, ascendant strike attacks bypass any DR the creature might possess. At 16th and every level thereafter, the monk may do this for one additional time per day. This ability replaces quivering palm.
Unity of Form: At 19th level, a monk of the glorious endeavor’s chosen weapon thrums with his spiritual nature. The monk may spend 3 ki points to turn his weapon into an instrument of law for one hour. This functions as the spell holy sword, but the weapon becomes a +5 axiomatic weapon instead, and it emanates a magic circle against chaos. This ability replaces empty body.