Teach yourself Judo with Putin

JODO EXPERT: Putin co-authored a judo manual several years ago.

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St. Petersburg: Russian President Vladimir Putin is known for his political maneuvers. Now, everyone can check out his moves in another area of expertise: Judo.

Putin, a black belt, said Friday that he and Yasuhiro Yamashita, a world and Olympic Judo champion from Japan, have made an instructional video together.

The news came after Putin got a message of greeting from Yamashita during an opening ceremony at Toyota Motor Corp.'s new assembly plant near his hometown of St. Petersburg.

"He and I have recorded a video disc as a video supplement to a Judo manual," Putin said. "I think it will be coming out in January or February."

Two years ago, Putin and Yamashita attended a judo lesson in St. Petersburg together, helping students practice holds at the judo school Putin, 55, attended in his college years. He had met Yamashita during a visit to Tokyo the previous month.

Putin co-authored a Judo manual several years ago.

His physical fitness helped build his popularity among Russians after years with the hard-drinking and chronically ill Boris Yeltsin, who died in April, as president.