World Taekwondo have stripped Vladimir Putin of his black belt due to his attack on Ukraine, with the Judo Federation also suspending honours.
The international governing bodies of taekwondo and judo have both spoken out against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, quashing honours he had formally achieved in the sports.
Today, World Taekwondo announced that the Russian President has been stripped of his ninth dan black belt (second highest grade possible), which was presented to him in 2013.
“World Taekwondo strongly condemns the brutal attacks on innocent lives in Ukraine, which go against the World Taekwondo vision of ‘Peace is More Precious than Triumph’,” said the organisation.
Served alongside the decision to remove Putin’s black belt, World taekwondo will join the International Olympic Committee in banning the Russian flag and national anthem from any of its events.
Vladimir Putin was also the honorary president and ambassador of the Judo Federation, but that title has also been suspended as a result of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Mr. Vladimir Putin’s status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation.https://t.co/QQDZbF6rfd
— Judo (@Judo) February 27, 2022
Putin has reportedly been practicing judo since the ninth grade and has publicly discussed his love for the martial art, saying that it’s “not just a sport, it’s a philosophy.”
Kind of ironic considering the philosophy of judo is founded on ideas of peace, and taekwondo’s mantra is quite literally “to build a more peaceful world.”
Maybe Vladdy just missed that day at taekwondo school?
