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Manitoba·Video

Winnipeg teen martial artist strengthens cultural ties with each kick, strike and blow

Winnipeg teen Jayzelle Policarpio started practising sikaran and arnis, an ancient Filipino martial art, when she was nine. By 13, she won silver and bronze at the World Karate Championships.

Sikaran champ Jayzelle Policarpio, 14, ranks among best in the world

CBC ·

Winnipeg teen martial artist one of the best in the world

1 year ago
Duration 2:53
Winnipeg teen Jayzelle Policarpio started practicing sikaran and arnis, an ancient Filipino martial art, at age nine. Today, she is one of the best in the world — and a lot closer to her culture.

When Jayzelle Policarpio runs through her sikaran and arnis martial arts forms, the championship athlete is doing more than kicking butt. 

"As a Filipino-Canadian who has not been to the Philippines or cannot speak the language, learning the sport and doing it is the closest thing to me to being in touch with the motherland," the 14-year-old said.

A young woman with dark hair in a pony tail yells during a martial arts class. Her hands are up towards her face and her eyes are closed. She wears a black martial arts top.
Jayzelle Policarpio, 14, has become a world-ranked martial artist under the tutelage of Kelly Legaspi, a fifth-degree sikaran and arnis black belt who teaches in Winnipeg. (CinemaRolls Studios)

Policarpio started taking sikaran and arnis in Winnipeg when she was nine and was hooked. In October 2022, five years later, she won silver and bronze medals at the World Karate Championship in Killarney, Ireland. 

Policarpio's passion for martial arts and her journey to the world stage is now the subject of a short video by students in the Create program at Sisler High School in Winnipeg. The post-high program trains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking.

Create students Caryl Jazz Cruz, 18, Fateh Brar, 21, and Tekie Gebrehawaryat, 19, produced the new video. 

The short video was produced as part of CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create, an ongoing video storytelling collaboration.

Young woman in a martial arts studio performs a sweeping high kick. She has long dark hair tied in a pony tail and is wearing a black karate uniform.
Jayzelle Policarpio is dedicated to sikaran and arnis and hopes to continue her growth in the sport, she says. (CinemaRolls Studios)

Meet the filmmakers 

Black and white portrait of a young woman with long dark hair smiling. She is wearing a zip up jacket and clasps her hands at her lap.
Caryl Jazz Cruz is a graduate of Sisler High School. She can be found taking photos with a film camera and filmmaking. She also loves art and consuming media, which inspires her creativity. Cruz thrives whenever she spends time with her friends, dresses up or expands her taste in music. (CinemaRolls Studios )
Black and white portrait of a man sitting on a stool with a closed mouth smile. He is clasping his hands on his lap. He is wearing a dark shirt with two buttons at the top; and dark pants.
Tekie Gebrehawaryat is a graduate of Gordon Bell High School. He has a strong passion for film, photography and various visual arts, including digital design. Gebrehawaryat is also a hard-working painter and designer who adapts to challenging circumstances. In his free time, he also enjoys playing sports. (CinemaRolls Studios)
Black and white portrait of a man with light beard sitting on a stool. He holds a video camera on his lap. He is wearing a beanie, head covering, a hoodie with a UCLA logo and a puffer vest over top. He has ripped jeans.
Fateh Brar is an experienced cinematographer with more than eight years behind the camera. He has made multiple music videos, short films, commercials and documentaries. Outside of film, he has a passion for dance, particularly Punjab's folk dance Bhangra, which he has been doing since 2013. (CinemaRolls Studios)

More about Project POV: Sisler Create

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC Manitoba journalists to produce short docs. The collaboration is in its second year. Past projects can be found here. 

During fall 2023, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking students and led producing workshops over several weeks at the Create program at Sisler High School.

The post-high school program focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media. 

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