Witness the spectacle of a kung fu expert facing off against a fierce Tibetan macaque in what appears to be a serious battle.
Mr Xie, a skilled martial artist, encountered the monkey during a trip to Mount Emei in the Sichuan Province of southwestern China.
The conflict, which began when Mr Xie tried to pet one of the macaques, was captured on video and shared on social media.
Some viewers were outraged, arguing that Mr Xie should have kept his distance from the wild animal. Others, however, thought it was fitting revenge against monkeys that have a reputation for ambushing tourists for their food.
In the footage, as Mr Xie touches the monkey, it attacks him, and he responds, leaning over the railing to deliver more blows. While his back is turned, another macaque rushes in to defend its companion, and Mr Xie drives it off with a series of air punches.
Onlookers filmed the strange martial arts battle in disbelief and later shared the footage on social media.
A few days later, Mr Xie posted a video of the skirmish on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok,
in response to the online attention. He explained that he practices martial arts and that when the monkey unexpectedly punched him, he reacted on reflex.
Mr Xie stated that he held back during the altercation because the macaques are protected animals and that he just wanted to scare them away. He went on to say that his behavior was inappropriate and should not be emulated.
Officials issued a public appeal for people to maintain a safe distance from the macaques. Meanwhile, social media users praised Mr Xie’s bravery, with one commentator suggesting that he had done something that many people would like to do but do not dare.
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.