Professor Visiting Los Angeles Repels Armed Robber With Kung Fu, Loses $3,100, Police Say

A visiting Chinese professor in Los Angeles, California, used kung fu to fend off an armed robber earlier this month, police said.

According to The Independent, police said Xiangtan University professor Zhou Pigai was looking for a hotel on November 1 when he was approached by a man with a gun. Acting "spontaneously," Pigai "used his left hand to block the gun, and his right fist to knock the gun to the ground," police said.

Pigai then ran to a "main road," where he used his cell phone to "check his face for injuries," reported South China Morning Post. But the man grabbed his gun and approached Pigai a second time, so the professor shoved his suitcase towards him, police said. Pigai punched the man, elbowed him in the head and kicked the gun out of his hand.

The man then fled the scene with Pigai's suitcase, police said. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said that Pigai lost approximately $3,130 worth of personal belongings, reported The Independent.

The rate of crime in Los Angeles is 70.82 per 1,000 residents, stated crimegrade.org.

"Los Angeles Metro is in the 8th percentile for safety, meaning 92% of metro areas are safer and 8% of metro areas are more dangerous," the website said. "Your chance of being a victim of crime in the Los Angeles metro area may be as high as 1 in 6 in the southeast neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 36 in the southwest part of the metro area."

The website also stated that the city's violent crime rate is 5.16 per 1,000 residents, while the crime rates for assault and robbery are 2.664 and 2.051 per 1,000 residents, respectively.

Last year, the city saw 300 homicides by November—a figure reportedly not seen since 2009.

"A number we have not seen in over a decade—300 homicides in a year. Senseless violence & tragic loss of life. Our people are doing everything they can to stop the violence, but we need your help," tweeted the LAPD at the time.

According to multiple reports, Pigai later re-enacted his fight to help LAPD with its investigation.

"I remained calm at that time since I evaluated that the man, who although taller than me and strong, could not win a fight against me," Pigai later said, according to South China Morning Post.

In a conversation with the outlet, he added: "I felt scared after the incident. Generally speaking, I don't suggest the public copy my actions. I have learned martial arts before."