Has John Baird become a martial arts master overnight?

No, the taekwondo black belt Foreign Affairs Minister Baird received on Saturday was of the honorary variety, part of a reception for the visit of his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-hwan.

In order to earn his belt, Baird had to break a wooden board with his bare hand. Ottawa taekwondo instructor Tae E. Lee was on hand to watch.

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  • Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird breaks a piece of wood with his hand to earn an honorary taekwondo black belt.

  • Grand Master Tae Eun Lee, a leading member of Canada’s Korean community who lives and teaches in Ottawa, presented the certificate to Baird, along with a uniform, black belt and taekwondo tie.

  • The black belt was awarded at a reception marking an official visit by Baird’s South Korean counterpart, H.E. Kim Sung-hwan.

And yes, according to The Globe And Mail, Baird's chop was successful.

We asked users on our Facebook page to send us their captions for the photo. You can find some of our favourites in the slideshow below.

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