We try to stay out of politics here at THE SAVAGE SCIENCE–its a sleazy, contemptible business run by people who make Vince McMahon and Don King look like Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Besides, we can’t get excited about most politicians here in the US (with the notable exception of Oregon House District 52 candidate Matt “The Law” Lindland) because they’re flat out wimps compared to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s latest act of bad assedry is the release of a DVD entitled “Let’s Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin” featuring a gi clad VP on the cover:

‘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 - called Leningrad at the time.

Macho Putin releases ‘Let’s Learn Judo’ @ The Daily Mail (UK)