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(5 Sep 2000) Natural Sound XFA Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has wound up a visit to Japan by indulging in one of his favourite past-times. Mr Putin donned a traditional dogi (DOH-GEE) before settling down for a bout of the Japanese martial art of judo. VOICE-OVER: After two days of tough talking Vladimir Putin was ready to indulge in something a little more physical on Tuesday. The Russian hardman is a keen practitioner of judo. He first learnt the Japanese martial art while in the K-G-B, and now has a black belt. His trip to Japan gave him the chance to hone his skills. First up was a Judo instructor. Putin seemed more than equal to the task. UPSOUND of instructor hitting the ground Prime Minister Mori clearly enjoyed the bout. But with the two leaders still disagreeing over a territorial dispute, he would've been more pleased by the performance of Putin's next opponent. UPSOUND of Putin hitting the ground The two-day summit was the latest in a series of efforts to overcome decades of mistrust between the countries. The talks failed to decide the future of four Russian-controlled islands which Japan claims as its own. The islands - known as the Kurils in Russia and as the Northern Territories in Japan - stand in the way of a peace treaty which would formally end more than 50 years of hostility. But the two sides did manage to sign agreements on trade and regional security. Putin also invited Mori for a return visit, before leaving Japan to head for New York and the U-N millennium summit. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: Instagram: #Putin #Judo #Japan You can license this story through AP Archive:
