Bali tourist choked out by locals after he’s accused of inappropriately touching women

A Russian tourist accused of inappropriately touching women has been filmed being strangled by Bali locals in a now viral video.

The shocking footage, which shows a shirtless man being choked and surrounded by furious locals, was reportedly filmed in Uluwatu during a night out.

In the clip, Balinese fighter and gym owner Belda Brig Sando can be seen holding the tourist on the ground as the man goes red and appears to fall unconscious.

“Respect locals,” he shouts at the unresponsive man.

Another tourist can be heard saying, “he’s out, he’s out” as he attempts to diffuse the situation.

“This is a drunk bule (foreigner) touching a girl and having no respect,” replies Sando.

After a considerable amount of time in a headlock, Sando finally released the tourist, who momentarily lay still on the ground.

“Don’t touch the girls like that,” Sando is heard saying.

“Bali is safe. Bali people are nice. You can do whatever you want in Bali but respect [our] locals.

The man then regained consciousness, slurring his words as he attempted to get out a sentence.

“I got it, I got it,” the man said.

“If I punch you, I can finish you. But I choked you till you understood. Where are you from?” said Sando.

“I understand bro. I’m from Russia,” the man replied as he wiped his nose.

“Are you from Russia? [There’s] many Russian people doing s**t here, don’t be one of them.”

Sando was then seen extending a hand to the man, who began questioning who he had allegedly touched.

“Who did I touch?” he asked.

“Who? Don’t say who. Everybody already saw it, you’re drunk,” said Sando.

“Bali is nice, but if you’re not nice, we can smash you here. Shut up and go home.”

The fight coach and founder of Zando Fight Club has since addressed the incident, calling out foreigners “who come here and act without respect.”

“This guy was drunk – touching people, walking in the middle of the road, stopping strangers, and even slapping heads like it’s normal,” he wrote online.

“No one said anything until he touched one of my friends. That’s when I stepped in, and it turned into a fight.

“What I did may not have been right, and for that I apologise. I’m human – sometimes emotions take over. But I didn’t start it. He crossed the line first.

“Bali is a beautiful place, and the people here are kind and respectful. That’s what we want everyone to experience.

“But respect goes both ways. I’m tired of seeing some foreigners come here and act without respect. Let’s keep Bali the way it should be – good people, good energy.”

The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of Bali’s nightlife, as the idyllic holiday destination increasingly becomes the scene of unruly tourist behaviour.

Earlier this year, a group of tourists was filmed brawling outside a small supermarket in Kuta, with locals being forced to intervene.

Women were heard screaming as the holiday-makers threw punches and attacked each other outside the store.

In 2025, Bali launched a campaign to educate tourists on appropriate behaviour while visiting the island.

Governor Wayan Koster said the new guidelines for foreign tourists visiting the island aim to address growing concerns over misbehaving visitors on ways to respect local customs, dressing modestly at religious sites and refraining from damaging the environment.

The guidelines also aim to reduce violence among visitors and ensure that Bali’s tourism industry aligns with local laws.

“This ensures that Bali’s tourism remains respectful, sustainable and in harmony with our local values,” Koster said at the time.