Black Belt Bertie

memphis

Taken from the Irish Independant newspaper
What is peoples opinion on this??

HE was once mocked for his fondness for anoraks and yellow suits, but that was before he became 'Black Belt Bertie'.

It is a much more fearsome title than the sort the Taoiseach is used to and it could prove handy in the upcoming general election. With the political opposition baying for his blood, he'll need all the evasiveness, light-footedness and indomitable warrior spirit that the Korean martial art can bring. And the Taekwon-Do Taoiseach has a much better ring to it than the Teflon Taoiseach.

At its Dublin headquarters yesterday, the Irish National Taekwon-Do Association (INTA) gave him an honorary black belt. But those who were expecting the Taoiseach to try a few high kicks were to be disappointed.

He stayed away from the sparring sessions and didn't try on the dobuk (uniform) he was presented with either.

He was straight up about his lack of experience of the Korean martial art.

"I had a go at a lot of sports but I didn't have a go at that one," he admitted to the various black belt masters gathered around him.

Mr Ahern praised the INTA, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, for the values it instilled in its 3,000 members.

These include courage, integrity, self-control and indomitable spirit, while the code of honour includes statements like 'I shall be a champion of freedom and justice'.

The Taoiseach watched a sparring session involving one of the INTA's most successful members, Ciaran Ryan (18), from Milltown in Dublin, who won the world championship in Germany last year.

The INTA had to seek permission from the International Taekwon-Do Association to present the honorary black belt to Mr Ahern.

"They are not handed out willy-nilly to anybody. This is the first honorary certificate issued to anyone in Ireland," said its instructing master, Brendan O'Toole.

I feel personally that this is nothing more than a publicity stunt for both parties involved, and a complete and utter digrace as it makes a total mockery and joke of the MA. Shame on the INTA i say!

gymrabbit

that's gas. honorary black belt? i wonder how many inta black belts are honorary. silly tbh.

Roper

memphis wrote:

I feel personally that this is nothing more than a publicity stunt for both parties involved, and a complete and utter digrace as it makes a total mockery and joke of the MA. Shame on the INTA i say!

Yes its awful, he must be the first man to ever get a black belt without earning one.

In related news, I saw a celebrity getting an honorary degree from Trinity once, I stormed the stage, "why nobody with a degree from Trinity will ever get a job now" I said. Whaddya know my prediction was wrong, honorary titles don't cheapen anything they're just nice things to do when someone special comes to visit, like Elvis who had a black belt in Kratty, or a girl I knew of who had cerebral palsy and was given one in her local Karate school. Relax man, if you feel cheapened, go have a shower and wash it off.

yomchi

Or Chuck Norris who was given an honoury 8th Dan TKD by the very man who created TKD.
Mind you I think Chuck threatened him with a round house kick first...:p

FiannaGym.com

It is just a publicity stunt, no question. Mary Robinson was also given a black belt in TKD.

Elvis on the other hand actually did train and from vids I've watched on him he was as good as many black belts were back then (terrible).

Thankfully, many people got to see TKD in the olympics so anyone who cares pretty much knows what its like.

What is interesting in that article is how it's writen, it reminded me why I don't get the indo.

Peace

Roper

You mean in short sentences?

Easy to read?

That way?

Or just free of opinion?

lostexpectation

INTA disciplined expert arse lickers

Baggio...

Good 'ol bertie... I wonder what else he gets for free.

Well, at least we pay 26 grand for his apearace ever year. Tax payers money well spent I'd say.

Colm_OReilly

I see the Christmas cheer is alive and well here!

Does it make you happy to complain like this?
BTW it's not a publicity stunt. A publicity stunt is something beyond the norm used to gather a lot of attention. This is a photo op essentially, a way of both parties mutually elevating their recognition and hopefully status by teaming up.

Consider this a pheonix beak to the skull of all the begrudgers out there!

Baggio...

Bah Humbug! to Bertie...

To every one else "have a Happy Chrimbo".;)

FiannaGym.com

Colm_OReilly wrote:

A publicity stunt is something beyond the norm used to gather a lot of attention.

Colm, are you suggesting that handing out TKD black belts to people who dont train is "the norm"? Surely not haha.

Peace

Clive

I don't think any of you who are outranked by Bertie should speak ill of Mr. Ahern.

memphis

This does nothing more than belittle and make a complete mockery of TKD, plain and simple....!!!

Now I've had my rant.

yomchi

This does nothing more than belittle and make a complete mockery of TKD

TBH I don't think its a big deal. Fair play to the INTA for being first to the post and for achieving the publicity that they did.
Taekwon-Do has being belittled and mocked by much more important figures in the Taekwon-Do world than the INTA has. The ego maniacs involved at the top of some organisations are the reason why TKD has a bad name on some fronts.
Like I said the General often gave honoury black belts to dignatories (sp) and film stars - like Chuck Norris as I said.
It's no big deal, it won't effect my training, and in fairness the INTA are making hay while the sun shines. They seem to have a good publicity team.

Tim_Murphy

I have no idea what the problem with this is? Does universities handing out honourary degrees make a mockery of the real degrees? :rolleyes:

BobbyOLeary

Tim_Murphy wrote:

I have no idea what the problem with this is? Does universities handing out honourary degrees make a mockery of the real degrees? :rolleyes:

Exactly, sure earlier in the year Ian Woosnam and Tom Lehmann got degrees from UCD. Does that make me angry? Does that mean Ian Woosnam now knows more about science than I do? Hmmm, no.

It could bring more people to TKD and into MA in general, which can't be a bad thing. Plus it made for a funny joke on the panel on monday night! Tax on, tax off.

dlofnep

Bertie deserves it!! Stop picking on him!!! :mad: :mad:

astfgl

MMA should give Enda Kenny or Michael McDowell etc an Honourary Belt and have them fight

memphis

dlofnep wrote:

Bertie deserves it!! Stop picking on him!!! :mad: :mad:

This is exactly my point... I, for one, don't believe he does deserve it. Perhaps we should all just a agree to disagree. I don't agree with it, but that's just my opinion.

Clive

I think Bertie should take on Putin at the next Ring of Truth.

I say Putin by judu.

Cake Fiend

memphis wrote:

This is exactly my point... I, for one, don't believe he does deserve it. Perhaps we should all just a agree to disagree. I don't agree with it, but that's just my opinion.

A significant number of (actual) black belts I've seen didn't deserve their grade either. It doesn't impact my training, so I couldn't give a monkey's.

dudara

As a member of the INTA, I find this funny, but have absolutely no problem with it. In fact, I think that it's great publicity for us and was a piece of semi-humorous news to brighten my day.

Just as a previous poster commented, I don't feel that my hard-earned PhD is belittled by all the honoury doctorates handed out, and neither will I feel that my soon-to-be-earned black belt is belittled by Bertie's one.

People take themselves too seriously at times.

Roper

I wouldn't mind seeing Berlusconi Vs Ahern. Good match up there, two chancers.