Vladimir Putin illustrates leadership philosophy with a Judo DVD
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ne...icle4900942.ece
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdXwu2MXR_s
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He has spent his political life twisting arms and throwing rivals off balance. Now Vladimir Putin is teaching the same tricks to a new generation of Russians with an instructional video on judo.
Russia's Prime Minister has long viewed the sport as a philosophy of life and a metaphor for the way he has ruled Russia. He marked his 56th birthday today by releasing the DVD Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin.
"The name of the sport, 'the gentle way', reveals the fundamental principle — an opportunity to gain the upper hand by soft but effective actions," Mr Putin declares in the 75-minute film.
Political opponents would argue that the former KGB agent's methods have been anything but soft since he came to power in 2000 as president. But nobody doubts that his actions are effective.
Mr Putin is famously a black belt at judo and perhaps the only world leader who is as skilled at self-defence as his bodyguards. Less well known is the fact that he is a former judo champion of his home city of St Petersburg, then Leningrad, where the video was launched at a late-night presentation minutes into his birthday.
He told the gathering that the title of the film was an "advertising trick", adding that viewers would be "learning not from your humble servant but from real geniuses". The film was made in collaboration with Yashuhiro Yamashita, a Japanese world and Olympic champion in the sport.
Mr Putin lives up to his action-man image, however, and dons a white judo suit in a section of the film to throw an opponent to the mat during demonstrations of different moves. Dressed in a black robe, he also explains the history and philosophy behind judo, giving telling insights into his leadership style.
"The practice of struggle permits compromises and concessions, but they are possible only if they are on the road to victory," says Mr Putin at one point. "This is achieved not only by physical exercises, but also by moral preparation."
He describes judo as a school that teaches "courage, sincerity and dignity", one in which "self-confidence is highly valued, resoluteness, purposefulness, patience, respect for elders, for comrades in the team and for rivals".
"Judo is a philosophy," concludes Mr Putin, describing it as a world where "the highest values are not just physical power, but also human qualities".
Mr Putin's regular judo partner, Vasily Shestakov, told The Times that the film was a follow-up to a book on the sport that they had co-authored in 2004.
"The book sold very well and I think there will be a big demand for this film," Mr Shestakov said. "Putin demonstrates five or six moves from the book and he also explains his philosophy and outlook on judo.
"He is a very successful master, a 6th Dan, and he gives very clear demonstrations of technique, of movement and grip. Russia lost a great judo player but found a great leader."
Mr Shestakov, now a deputy in Parliament for Mr Putin's United Russia party, said that he still trains with the Prime Minister. Diplomatically perhaps, he declined to say who usually wins their contests.
Mr Putin was 13 when he arrived at Anatoly Rakhlin's martial arts club in Leningrad, of which he is now president. The trainer recently recalled him as a fighter of "extraordinary endurance", adding: "He was pretty unpredictable when fighting ... he was good at throwing his opponents both left and right."
Many of those who have challenged Mr Putin would vouch for that, including President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. He might have found the video useful ahead of his war with Russia in August, when Mr Putin took charge of the military campaign to drive Georgian forces out of South Ossetia.
Another head of state who will have it on his Christmas list is France's Nicolas Sarkozy, if only to find out what he has let himself in for. Mr Putin told a French newspaper last month that Mr Sarkozy had expressed an interest in judo and "we have decided to do some training together".
The video is certain to be required viewing for Russia's Olympic contenders for the 2012 Games in London. Mr Putin was said to have been furious that Russia, once one of the world's leading judo nations, came home empty-handed from Beijing after winning five medals at the Games in Athens in 2004.
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"The favorite American pastime is not baseball, it's moral crusades."
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