Vladimir Putin, a wannabe action hero, recently called upon real life action hero Steven Seagal to usher in a new Soviet-era fitness initiative to Russia, the Guardian reports.
At a martial arts school outside of Moscow, he said, "I think it would be quite appropriate to recall the positive experience of past decades when the so-called GTO, Ready for Labour and Defence, was in use in our country," referring to a program from the 1930s, founded under Joseph Stalin. "The revival of this system – in a new, modern format – could bring major benefits."
The Guardian reports on Seagal's role at the event:
"Seagal's action films are popular in Russia and he has met the president several times. In what seemed to be a choreographed incident, Seagal rushed into a crowd of children trying to pose with Putin and pulled him out, as if acting as his bodyguard."
Neither Putin, who has a black belt in Judo, nor Seagal sparred -- instead, they watched from the sidelines.
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