Instant karma! Crook tries to rob female store worker... who happens to be a KICKBOXER and pummels him senseless

This is the moment a female martial arts expert battered a hapless crook after he tried robbing her shop in Argentina. 

CCTV footage shows the would-be robber trying to force his way through a service hatch at a kiosk in Resistencia, Chaco province, on May 22.

But the kickboxing expert, named locally as Yanela Caceres, threw a flurry of punches at the robber, whose identity is not yet known, as he tried entering her shop.

Just as she is about to get an agonising armlock on him, the hoodie-wearing thug manages to pull away and flees empty-handed as the clip ends.

Local media reports said the crook had asked Yanela for a drink of water as a trick to get her to open the service hatch.

CCTV footage shows the would-be robber trying to force his way through a service hatch at a kiosk in Resistencia, Chaco province

The kickboxing expert, named locally as Yanela Caceres (pictured), threw a flurry of punches at the robber

Just as she is about to get an agonising armlock on him, the hoodie-wearing thug manages to pull away and flees empty-handed

Yanela said she hit him so hard her knuckles were bleeding, but she was otherwise uninjured

She said later: 'First, he asks me about a single cigarette. We don't sell it like that anymore, so I tell him that, and he then asks me if he can have some water.'

The water was at the back of the store, so Yanela had reportedly closed the service window and went to the back to fetch it in a small bottle.

She explained: 'When I handed him the bottle, he pushed down on the window and tried to get into the store.'

She added: 'He wanted to grab me, and I reacted as can be seen in the video.'

Yanela said she hit him so hard her knuckles were bleeding, but she was otherwise uninjured.

It is not currently known if a robbery complaint was filed with local police.