Turkmen activists living in exile have parodied Berdimuhamedov, mashing up the official video with footage from 2017 and clips from the Sylvester Stallone action classic Rambo and the Stan Bush song Fight To Survive from the iconic Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts movie Bloodsport , which you can watch below.

Not surprisingly, TDH, the state news agency of Turkmenistan, declared that Berdimuhamedov had hit all the targets he shot at and that this was "a clear confirmation" of his martial abilities. The official report also said that it was a servicemember who requested that the president autograph one of the paper targets, which is set to go on display in the country's State Border Guard Museum.

Berdymukhammedov reportedly showed off his shooting abilities at a military training facility in Turkmenistan's western Balkan region on Aug. 10, 2018. The event was part of a series of visits in the lead up to the country's Day of the Border Patrol. He made a very similar performance in August 2017, which resulted in an equally cheesy propaganda spread .

Turkmenistan's dictatorial president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has cast himself as the star of a military propaganda film that apes some of the worst parts of classic action flicks and similar trends among other authoritarian leaders. The former dentist, who has no known military experience, but now holds the title of General of the Army, recently took the opportunity to demonstrate his "skills" for elite members of his country's security forces.

The video from the event shows Berdimuhamedov arriving on a camouflaged three-wheeled trike-type motorcycle ahead of a convoy of military trucks and light special operations vehicles. This is highly reminiscent of Russian President Vladimir Putin fondness for motorcycles, which he often rides together with the Night Wolves motorcycle "club," a violent group that has murky ties to the Kremlin's internal and external security services. The effect is perhaps closer to Danny McBride's character Kenny Powers from the television show Eastbound & Down. He then proceeds to shoot four targets with a pistol, apparently hitting each one dead center in the chest. The president then engages four more targets – possibly the same ones – with an Israeli Tavor TAR-21 assault rifle complete with red dot sight, tactical light, and sound suppressor, again hitting them all.

TDH Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sits on his trike at the military demonstration in August 2018.

It is difficult to judge from the available video how far away the targets actually are and whether Berdimuhamedov is actually the one making the accurate shots. It is entirely possible that he may be a good shot, but the event is also clearly heavily scripted with personnel quickly applauding and studiously taking "notes" from their country's leader. Afterward, Berdimuhamedov observes troops and paramilitary police perform a variety of firearms and hand-to-hand combat drills. At one point, a pair of individuals appear to engage in a dangerous "confidence drill," facing each other at very close range and shooting 9mm Tavor submachineguns over each other's shoulders.

via Chronicles of Turkmenistan Two Turkmen security forces personnel engage in what appears to be a confidence drill that involves them shooting past each other at close range.