IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Background. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, rapid privatisation and power vacuums became present in post-socialist countries. In such circumstances, informal groups based around martial arts clubs had a significant impact on politics.
Problem and aim. In Serbia, during the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, a judo clan rose to power through high-ranking police officers and members of paramilitary units. This informal group originally emerged from the Milicionar judo club, based in Belgrade. In Russia, the president himself is a judoka and has created a network of sparring partners that was made up of billionaires. This network of wealthy partners would go on to become war entrepreneurs after the invasion of Ukraine. The epicentre of this Russian judo clan is the Yawara-Neva judo club in St. Petersburg.
Method. Through archival material, relevant literature and other sources, this article through historical method analyses the emergence of informal groups based around judo clubs in Serbia and Russia, their concentration of power and their impact on politics.
Results and Conclusion. In post-socialist countries judo clubs can have had an significant political influence. In Serbia through strong connection between judo and police forces, the Milicionar judo club provided some of the key figures of the Slobodan Milosevic regime. In Russia, the president Vladimir Putin through the Yawara-Neva judo club created a network of shady billionaires and politicians that are one of the pillars of his regime.