Karate expert, 50, fights off bear by kicking it twice in the face when it attacks him before hapless predator runs away into the mountains in Japan

Video footage recorded by the hiker appeared to show one of the bears fleeing into the forest

According to Japanese media reports, a karate expert managed to fend off a bear attack that he believed would end his life by kicking the animal twice in the face.

Masato Fukuda sustained only minor injuries during his encounter with two bears on Thursday morning in Nayoro city, on the northern island of Hokkaido, as stated by the police.

He was taking a walk to see a waterfall in Nayoro's mountainous area around 10.30 am when he unexpectedly came across two brown bears peeking out of bushes, according to Japanese media.

The two bears made a mistake when they approached the 50-year-old, who was visiting the woodland area from Toyota City.

One of them came towards him - but unfortunately for the animal, Mr. Fukuda was skilled in the martial art of karate. "I thought I should make my move or else I will be killed," he told a local broadcaster.

Mr. Fukuda kicked it in the face - twice - and in the process twisted his leg, but otherwise escaped unharmed, he told reporters.

The day-tripper mentioned that while he managed to scare off one of the predators, the other initially kept its distance and seemed threatening.

Frightened, Mr. Fukuda made his way back to his car - and managed to get a video of the animal looking down at him.

Masato Fukuda was only lightly injured in his encounter with a pair of bears on Thursday morning. He is pictured here speaking to Japanese TV station NHK

The footage shows it peering from out of the woods at him before turning tail and running into the mountains.

"I was just lucky. The bear just happened to run away, so I was saved, but if the bear had just lunged at me, I wouldn't have had a chance," Mr. Fukuda told STV.

Both animals appeared to be about 1.5 meters (5 ft) tall, according to Japanese media. Brown bears can weigh half a tonne (1,100 lbs) and outrun a human.

The Ussuri brown bear found on Hokkaido is a slightly smaller cousin to the grizzly but much larger than the Japanese black bear on Japan's mainland.

The number of bear reports received in Hokkaido this month has exceeded 100, much higher than in previous months, news outlet NHK reports, citing police.

There have reportedly been numerous bear sightings in Nayoro City this month, and police are conducting patrols to warn residents.

Authorities in the area have urged hikers to be vigilant when enjoying the forests, particularly as the number of bear sightings in the area has been increasing.