Putin is judo expert in new DVD

By IRINA TITOVA

St. Petersburg

Oct. 7: Vladimir Putin is out on video as a judo master. Russian state-controlled media already have shown the powerful Prime Minister at the wheel of massive racing truck, shirtless on a fishing excursion, and tracking a tiger through the Siberian forest — just a few of the he-man presentations designed to boost his public image.

On Tuesday, he presented an instructional judo DVD that bears his name and shows him throwing an opponent to the mat. "Let’s Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin" is the product of collaboration between Putin — a black belt — and other judo enthusiasts, including former World and Olympic judo champion Yasuhiro Yamashita. It apparently was privately made and intended mainly for Russians studying judo.

Early on Tuesday morning, minutes into his 56th birthday, Mr Putin talked about the video at a presentation before journalists and other guests at a state-owned venue. Mr Putin said the video’s title was little more than an "advertising trick." Anyone who watches it "will be learning not from your humble servant but from real geniuses" of the martial art, he said.

Portions of the promotion and the video were shown on Russian television later on Tuesday. The video depicted a black-robed Putin talking about the history and philosophy of judo, as well as a white-robed Putin demonstrating moves against a practice partner and throwing him to the mat several times.

"In a bout, compromises and concessions are permissible, but only in one case: if it is for victory," Mr Putin says at one point in the video, as Asian-style music plays on the soundtrack. Mr Putin is a one-time judo champion of his home city St. Petersburg. —AP