Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in a training session with Russia's judo team in Sochi on January 8, 2016. Putin held a friendly fight with the team's Italian coach Ezio Gamba.

To appreciate Judo’s influence on Putin, look no further than the company he keeps. Arkady Rotenberg, who leads a bank and construction company, SMP, which has made billions from Russian ...

In this pool photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, attends a training session with the Russian national judo team at the Yug-Sport Training Center in ...

Putin’s biographers note that he started practising judo and the Soviet combat technique sambo as a teenager in St Petersburg. In a 2001 interview, he described his love of both sports: ...

Putin's Judo Diplomacy: Japan's PM Wants Olympian to Fight Russian Leader. Published Sep 07, 2017 at 4:32 AM EDT Updated Sep 07, 2017 at 4:32 AM EDT.

AP Photo/ITAR-TASS, Sergei Zhukov, Presidential Press Service, FileIn this Dec. 24, 2005 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a master class at a judo school in St. Petersburg. On ...

Russian president Vladimir Putin plays a major role in this. A huge fan of judo , he says that in his life and work he often relies on the philosophical principles of this Japanese martial art ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Russian businessman have been removed from all positions in the International Judo Federation (IJF), the sport’s governing body said, in the latest spor… ...

Mr. Putin, 69 years old, has credited judo with getting him off Russia’s streets as a young man and teaching him discipline. He has even suited up in the past to spar with Russia’s national team.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a training session with the national judo team in Sochi, Russia, Feb. 14. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/TASS ...

Putin, a lifelong judo enthusiast, lost his status as “honorary president and ambassador” for the International Judo Federation and his “honorary 9th dan black belt” from World Taekwondo, ...

Vladimir Putin was one thrilled Russian president on Thursday. The longtime judo enthusiast had a VIP seat to watch Tagir Khaibulaev win the 100-kilogram gold medal. When the match ended, Putin ...