Is Battulga Khaltmaa The Toughest Politician In The World?

In the western world we are used to very weak politicians. The people elected to the highest positions in the world often come from families of power and have had a lifetime of oppulence.

However, the rest of the world is not quite the same. Mongolia is one of the most remote and desolate countries in the world, with over 80% of the nation being covered by grassland. It is in the grasslands where tough men are made, such as the former Mongolian president Battulga Khaltmaa. Khaltmaa served as the leader of his nation from 2017-2021 and has a long history of martial arts.

Even still, this is selling Khaltmaa a little short, not only is he a martial artist, he has won competitions at the highest level against elite opposition.

Traditional Mongolian Bokh Wrestling

Just like every other athletic man in Mongolia, Khaltmaa grew up training traditional Mongolian bokh. As his father was a bokh coach, Khaltmaa excelled at the discipline. For those that are not familiar with Mongolian bokh, it is somewhat similar to Greco-Roman wrestling and judo in which a leather jacket is worn instead of a kimono.

Bokh literally takes place in the grasslands outdoors – not a dojo. If you are thrown to the floor it will hurt a lot more than a traditional martial arts setting.

Battulga Khaltmaa won the national championship of wrestling in 1989 – in a country so obsessed with wrestling which is a huge accomplishment.

Judo

Best known for his judo due to its worldwide popularity. Khaltmaa holds a black belt and became president of the prestigious Mongolian judo federation in 2006. His love for judo was proven in 2008 when he was elected to Mongolian parliament, regardless of this position – he still did not step down from the judo federation.

Sambo

The most impressive part of Khaltmaa’s martial arts career are his sambo achievements. Competing in the under 52kg weight category, the Mongolian took home a silver medal in 1986 and won gold in Kiev in 1983. World championship sambo is no joke since it is an extremely competitive and tough grappling sport that is practiced throughout the former Soviet Union.

Summary

It is quite clear to see that Khaltmaa Battulga is by far the toughest politician in the world. There are leaders of other countries such as Vladimir Putin who hold black belts in a single martial art. However, Battulga is experienced in the three grappling arts wrestling, judo and sambo. Not only this, but he has won competitions at the highest level.

In closing, there is no other politician who practices martial arts that comes close to this man.