Steven Seagal, a prominent American actor and martial artist, has opened an aikido centre in Moscow with the intention of training young Russians for the Russian armed forces. Seagal, who has been a Russian citizen since 2016, is a seventh-dan black belt in aikido and the chief instructor within the Russian Federation for this martial art since 2018.
During his recent visit to Moscow, Seagal expressed his admiration for the young people of Russia, praising their immense potential and calling for more centres like his to be established across the country. He emphasized the importance of faster progress in the development of aikido, a martial art that emphasizes self-defense techniques, throws, and joint locks.
Seagal has been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has previously expressed his views in favor of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Putin reciprocated this admiration by awarding Seagal the Order of Friendship, a high-level award given to foreign nationals for significant contributions to Russian culture and society.
This latest move by Seagal to train Russian soldiers in aikido is yet another sign of his support for Putin’s administration. In 2021, he even presented Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with a samurai sword on behalf of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The move has raised some concerns about the actor’s influence on Russia’s armed forces and his political affiliations. However, Seagal maintains that his only goal is to help young Russians develop their martial arts skills and become stronger members of society.
In conclusion, Steven Seagal’s latest move to train young Russians in aikido has raised some eyebrows, but it remains to be seen how much influence he will have on Russia’s armed forces. Nevertheless, his support for Putin and his political views are clear, and his intentions to help develop martial arts skills in young Russians seem to be genuine.
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