Putin Stripped Of His Black Belt By Martial Arts Group

World Taekwondo stripped Russian President and martial arts enthusiast Vladimir Putin of his black belt in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Referring to its motto — “Peace is More Precious than Triumph” — World Taekwondo declared that Russia’s “brutal attacks on innocent lives” constitute violations of the group’s values, according to Reuters. “In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013,” the group said in a statement.

Days earlier, the International Judo Federation suspended Putin’s status as honorary president and ambassador “in light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine,” Reuters noted.

Putin, a former KGB agent, has cultivated a popular persona around his toughness — riding horses while shirtless, participating in martial arts, shooting firearms, swimming in frozen lakes, scoring professional hockey goals, and wrangling massive fish. However, martial arts aficionado and Lawfare editor Benjamin Wittes argued in 2017 that Putin is a “fraud” and “phony,” even challenging the head of state to a fight in any location where Putin does not have the power to arrest him.

Beyond Putin and his martial arts associations, other international sports bodies have distanced themselves from Russia following the nation’s military aggression.

On Friday, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced the removal of the upcoming Champions League final from St. Petersburg, Russia, selecting Paris as a replacement.

“The UEFA Executive Committee decided to relocate the final of the 2021-22 UEFA Men’s Champions League from Saint Petersburg to Stade de France in Saint-Denis,” UEFA said in a statement. “Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement.”

Meanwhile, Formula One (F1) canceled the Russian Grand Prix scheduled for September.  

“We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” F1 said in a statement. “On Thursday evening Formula 1, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances.”

Soccer federations for Sweden, Poland, and the Czech Republic revealed that their teams will no longer travel to Russia for World Cup qualifiers.

“Based on the current alarming development in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including the security situation, the Football Associations of Poland, Sweden and Czech Republic express their firm position that the playoff matches to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for 24 and 29 March 2022, should not be played in the territory of the Russian Federation,” the federations said in a joint statement.

On Tuesday, the International Skating Union (ISU) announced that skaters from Russia and Belarus will not be “invited or allowed to participate in International ice skating competitions including ISU Championships and other ISU events.”