Putin's black belt move

Putin showing his judo skills

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) -- 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 on Friday that he and Yasuhiro Yamashita, a world and Olympic judo champion from Japan, have made an instructional video together.

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.