A martial arts enthusiast shocked motorists and pedestrians when he climbed to the top of a traffic light and began practicing tai chi.

The unnamed man, who was reported to be drunk when the incident occurred, managed to climb the 23-foot pole without a harness.

He then got his balance and started practicing the martial art while traffic continued to flow beneath him.

Tai chi is usually practiced in parks and is categorized by slow, sweeping movements, and the practitioner’s coordinated breathing.

The man’s choice of location, however, lead to some understandable concern and the police were eventually called to the scene.

Firemen from Suzhou, a prefecture-level city in East China’s Anhui Province, took their position underneath the man and called for him to come down.

When he refused to be rescued, firemen were forced to set up a ladder so that they could go and fetch him.

However, as soon as the ladder was in place the man sat down on the pole, shuffled towards the end and slid down the traffic light by himself.

The man was then apprehended by police when he reached the bottom.

When questioned by authorities, the man explained that he had been struggling to find a job and had consumed one drink too many.

He said he had decided tai chi would be a good idea – but he did not say why he had chosen to practice the exercise on a traffic light.