Black belt Bertie gets a kick out of Tae Kwon-Do honour

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern might be riding high in most of the recent opinion polls but, yesterday, the Fianna Fáil leader was facing the chop.

More used to attending sporting theatres like Croke Park and Old Trafford at weekends, Bertie found himself in the unlikely setting of the Irish National Tae Kwon-Do Association (INTA) HQ in Dublin’s Exchequer Street.

Although well used to rolling with the punches of political life, the Taoiseach looked on nervously as he and his burly bodyguards faced a roomful of more than 20 Tae Kwon-Do practitioners.

But taking his place on the do-jang (training area), Bertie-san’s fears were groundless as he was presented with an honorary black belt in the Korean martial art to mark INTA’s 25th anniversary.

INTA master Brendan O’Toole said it was the first time that the sport’s international governing body had ever awarded such an honour to someone in Ireland. “It’s not just issued willy-nilly to anybody,” said Mr O’Toole.

He went on to inform Bertie-san that a black belt pin, which he presented to the Taoiseach, was a symbol of longevity. “So hopefully we’ll see a bit more of yourself in future,” he said.

Bertie-san looked impressed at his new-found status as he learnt about Tae Kwon-Do’s five main tenets — courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit — all vital qualities in the year of election.

He apologised for his lack of personal experience of such matters. Tae Kwon-Do that is, as we knew already that Bertie prefers Bass to Tenets.

However, it might not be too late for Bertie-san to learn new tricks as he saw 69-year-old Tom Connor from Drogheda, Co Louth, demonstrate how to smash a one-inch thick piece of wood in half with his bare hand.

The Taoiseach could have been forgiven for musing that such a display could come in handy for dealing with troublesome backbenchers and junior coalition partners.

During the ceremony, the Taoiseach heard the group speak of being a champion of freedom and justice and building a more peaceful world.

Further praise for Bertie? Nah…just part of the oath taken by all Tae Kwon-Do students.

Call it a kick below the (black) belt.