Russian Prime Minister Putin may join Russian Olympic judo team.

The Russian Judo Olympic team may have a new member. It is none other than the Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Comments: Sarah December 21, 2009, 12:50 Neall McCabe, you have correctedly noted that this image is a projection of the bodypolitic and masculinity. This is why whenever Putin asserts himself in the public- in his physicality- the Anglo American media goes wild! Putins PR people know this and they bring Putin now and then to make do him something that reflects his status of physical …

LEARN JUDO WITH ME, VLADIMIR PUTIN

Prime Minister and former President of the Russian Federation teaches YOU how to become a JUDO expert

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin is out on video as a judo master.

The former president has already been shown by the Russian media at the wheel of a massive racing truck, shirtless on a fishing excursion, and tracking a tiger through the Siberian forest — images designed to boost his public profile.

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 Tuesday morning, minutes into his 56th birthday, Putin talked about the video at a presentation before journalists and other guests at a state-owned venue. 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 Tuesday. The video 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 — 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,” Putin says at one point in the video, as Asian-style music plays on the soundtrack.

Putin is a one-time judo champion in his home city St. Petersburg and he doesn’t hesitate to promote the sport.

For instance, the former Russian president has disclosed that French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to take some martial arts lessons.

“He is interested in martial arts, and we have decided to do some training together,” Le Figaro, a leading French newspaper, quoted Putin as saying in an interview published last month.

Putin also is 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 during the video’s promotion.

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