Channelling Batman, Daniel Bernas teaches fellow Gen Zs on TikTok the art of self-defense through Arnis, the Philippines' national martial art sport.
In a sea of dance challenges, food hacks, and comedic content on his generation's favorite platform, Bernas literally sticks out with his content -- often seen waving two wooden rods as he teaches tricks and rules of the game, in which he's hailed a world champion.
At the World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF) World Championship held in Hawaii in 2018, Bernas snatched gold medals, bringing pride to the country.
"I grew up reading Batman comics, so i'm a fan of Batman. His characterization is that he molded himself into a fighter, that I thought was really cool," he said.
Particularly inspired by the character of Nightwing who used Escrima or Arnis sticks in most of his combats, Bernas signed up for a physical education class on the sport in college, marking the start of his competitive journey as an Arnisador.
Unable to train competitively during the pandemic, he is now on Tiktok trying to encourage his fellows to learn the sport.
"My main goal when i'm creating all this content is to promote, propagate Filipino martial arts. So I want people to know more about it, to give it a try. So when I teach or make tutorial videos, it's mainly so that people have something to try kaagad," he said.
Know more about his story in this #SummitOriginals video:
