Putin the judo black belt on DVD

In this Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a master class at a judo school in St. Petersburg. [Agencies]

Vladimir Putin is out on video as a judo expert.

Russian media have already shown Prime Minister Putin at the wheel of massive racing truck, shirtless on a fishing excursion and tracking a tiger through the Siberian forest.

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 former World and Olympic judo champion Yasuhiro Yamashita.

At a nighttime presentation minutes into his 56th birthday, Putin said the 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.

But portions shown on Russian television depicted a black-clad Putin talking about the history and philosophy of judo, as well as a white-robed Putin demonstrating moves against a practice partner.

Putin is a one-time judo champion of his home city St. Petersburg.

He is also an avid skier, and his apparent fitness and devotion to physical activity helped increase his popularity in eight years as president. This contrasted sharply with his hard-drinking and chronically ill predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, who died last year.

"The level of developing of sports undoubtedly defines the level of development of the country itself," Putin said at the presentation.

"Without sports, it's impossible to speak of a healthy way of life, about the health of the nation as such," he said.


(Agencies)

日前，（俄罗斯总理）普京以一名柔道教练的身份出现在一套教学DVD中。

此前，普京开越野卡车，半裸上身垂钓以及在西伯利亚丛林中英勇打虎的“轶事”已受到俄罗斯媒体的高度关注。

本周二，普京发布了他的柔道教学DVD，片中有一个他将对手摔倒在垫子上的片断。

这套名为《跟普京学柔道》的教学DVD是普京与前奥运柔道冠军山下泰裕合作完成的。现在普京已是柔道“黑带”选手。

当天恰逢普京的56岁生日。在当晚的发布仪式上，普京说这套DVD的名字用了一个“广告噱头”，因为看这套节目的人“不是在跟我学，而是在跟真正的柔道高手学”。

从俄罗斯电视台播放的DVD片断可以看到，片中的普京身着黑衣，讲述柔道的历史和哲学内涵，还有他身穿白色柔道服与陪练演示动作的内容。

普京曾是其家乡圣彼得堡市的柔道冠军。

普京还擅长滑雪。普京健壮的体魄和对体育的热爱助长了他在八年总统任期内的高人气。这与其前任鲍里斯•叶利钦形成鲜明对比。叶利钦饮酒过度，长期患病，已于去年去世。

普京在发布仪式上说：“一个国家体育的发展水平无疑是决定该国整体发展水平的重要因素。”

普京说：“没有体育运动，健康的生活方式和国民的健康就无从谈起。”