For their entire lives, they did everything together.
Growing up a few years apart in Tacony, Chris and Kyle Daukaus have always been there for each other. Not only do they help each other reach levels they couldn’t on their own, they push each other and compete with each other to make sure the other one reaches their goal.
It’s complete brotherly love and it was that way long before the brothers achieved any type of athletic acclaim for being among the best in the world at what they do.
Now they’re opening that circle up and introducing friends to the world of mixed martial arts.
Chris and Kyle Daukaus each have fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where the best fighters in the world compete.
They also compete in other promotions, and each have built up quite the legacy for themselves. In his MMA career, Kyle maintains a 15-4-1 record all at middleweight. The 2011 Father Judge High School graduate who attended North Catholic his first three years is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
His older brother, who was a Philadelphia police officer before turning his attention to fighting fulltime, is 12-8 in his professional career, which began as a heavyweight but he’s since bumped down to light heavyweight. Unlike his brother, he spent all four years at North Catholic before graduating in 2007, but they have the black belt in BJJ in common.
And now they’re doing another thing together.
The brothers have opened The Forge, an MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym located in the Parkwood Shopping Center.
It’s a place where you can come if you have experience, or if you just want to roll around and learn the basics.
It’s perfect for everyone at all levels, and something the brothers wanted to do to help grow the sport they love.
“My brother and I always talked about it but never fully made the commitment until recently,” Kyle said. “We’ve reached the top of the sport and felt it was time to share the knowledge and give back to the community that turned us into the fighters we are today.”
Mixed Martial Arts are becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. The UFC is clearly the top promotion, and both brothers had stops there, but they have fought just about everywhere along the way.
But it wasn’t easy to find a place to learn how to compete in the sport. While at the highest level, it can be violent, the sport teaches a lot of discipline, and going to the gym doesn’t mean you’re going to get locked in a cage in a fight to the death. It’s a great place to go, get in shape and learn more about the art.
That’s exactly how they started.
“I first started training at around 15 years old at a gym in Fox Chase,” Kyle said. “Then I moved over to another gym in Northeast Philadelphia called Martinez BJJ. I trained under Will Martinez who is a Bellator veteran.
“I was there for around 15 years. I’m grateful for the gym and coaching that he gave me throughout my career. (That) instilled a lot of hard work ethic that I have always used when teaching and training myself.”
The Forge has two teachers who really know their craft. That would be Chris and Kyle.
“As of now only myself and my brother Chris Daukaus are running all practices and classes there,” Kyle said. “Chris teaches the kids classes. I do more of the adult classes.
“We teach MMA, and jiu jitsu at our gym. Anyone that watches the UFC knows what we’re talking about. Submission grappling with a mix of striking. People will learn self defense as well without realizing it. A lot of people think it’s just fighting but there’s more to it. Especially learning self defense.”
Learning how to beat an opponent is fun.
But you’ll learn how to beat your fears and doubts about working out, too, the brothers hope.
“I think the best part is knowing people that come in will get something out of it,” Kyle said. “When I first started, I was timid and young with no self-confidence. Training MMA and jiu jitsu gave me a ton of self-confidence. Along with getting myself into better shape.
“I feel the best part is seeing people come in and have fun. They get to learn and see the things we show actually work in live situations.
“The response has been great. Everyone is very excited that we have opened up a spot. We’ve had nothing but good feedback from everyone. And I look forward to having more people come in and learn.”
It’s clear the brothers love doing it because it’s teaching people the sport they love. But it doesn’t hurt that they’re doing it together.
If you see one brother fight, the other brother isn’t far behind. They’re a team in fighting just as they are in life. And now in business.
“We decided to open the gym together just because that’s how we are,” Kyle said. “We’ve always been very close, and always will be. So it’s better to have someone next to you that you can trust to help out and put 100% effort into it.
“We’ve always helped each other throughout our careers as fighters. So it’s only right we coach together, and help people get better, too.”
The Forge is located at 12327 Academy Road. Visit the gym’s Instagram page for more details.
