A confrontation between a Russian tourist and local residents in Bali has attracted massive attention after a video emerged showing the man being restrained by chokehold following allegations of inappropriately touching women during a night out. The footage, filmed in the coastal region of Uluwatu, captures a chaotic scene: a shirtless man lies on the ground, surrounded by onlookers, as a local man, identified as Balinese fighter and gym owner Belda Brig Sandow, holds him in a headlock from behind. As the struggle begins, the tourist loses consciousness while bystanders react with concern. Voices urging restraint can be heard in the background. “He’s out, he’s out,” one man says repeatedly, attempting to defuse the situation. But Sandow, holding on, addresses both the man and the onlookers: “Respect the locals.” Moments later, he explained the reason for the confrontation, saying, “It’s a drunk bule (foreigner) who is touching a girl and has no respect for her.” The term “bule” is commonly used in Indonesia to refer to foreign, especially white, visitors. The video shows the man’s face turning red as he struggles and he tugs at Sandow’s arm in an apparent attempt to break free. After several tense seconds, his body relaxes. Sandow then slowly releases the hold, leaving the person lying motionless on the ground before starting to move again. As the tourist regains consciousness, he is clearly confused and mutters, slurring his words, “I got it, I got it.” Sandow, still standing beside him, explains the intention behind his act: “If I punch you, I can finish you off. But before you can understand, I strangled you. Where are you from?” “I understand, brother. I’m from Russia,” the man replies, wiping his face. Sandow responded with a warning: “Are you from Russia? (There are) many Russian people messing around here, don’t be one of them.” When the man, now seated, asks, “Who did I touch?”, Sandow cuts him off: “Who? Don’t say who. Everyone has already seen, you’re drunk.” Then he says, “Bali is good, but if you are not good, we can break you here. Shut up and go home.”
What did Sandow say later?
Following the incident, Sandow, who runs Zendo Fight Club, addressed the confrontation in a statement posted online, offering both justification and reflection. He described that behavior, saying, “This guy was drunk – touching people, walking in the middle of the street, stopping strangers and even getting slapped on the head like it’s a normal thing.” He said the situation only worsened after he crossed the line: “Nobody said anything until he touched one of my friends. That’s when I intervened and it turned into a fight.” While defending his intervention, Sandow also acknowledged how it unfolded: “What I did was probably not right, and for that I apologize. I’m human – sometimes emotions take over. But I didn’t start it. He crossed the border first.” He framed the incident as part of a wider concern about conduct among some visitors to the island: “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 behave without respect.”Also read: American tourist detained after being caught violating Bali’s most sacred rule on ‘Day of Silence’
a pervasive pattern of anxiety
The incident comes amid increasing scrutiny of tourist behavior in Bali, a destination that has long promoted itself as welcoming but faces challenges related to overcrowding and misconduct. Earlier this year, a separate video showed tourists brawling outside a supermarket in Kuta, with women heard shouting as the fight escalated before locals intervened. In another case, 57-year-old American tourist Carl Adolph Amrhein was detained by local security on March 19, 2026, for walking on a main road in Sukawati during Nyepi (Day of Silence), the annual holy holiday that bans all outdoor activities, travel and noise for 24 hours. In response to a series of such incidents, the provincial government of Bali introduced updated behavior guidelines aimed at foreign visitors in 2025. Governor Wayne Koster said the measures are intended to address concerns ranging from respect for religious customs to environmental protection and public conduct. “This ensures Bali’s tourism remains respectful, sustainable and in line with our local values,” Koster said at the time.