Our Instructors
Brad Daddis
Brad opened the Academies with the goal of having the best martial arts instruction in the region. Bringing in the best instruction from all over, he feels that he has accomplished that. He is a Mixed Martial Arts Fighter and a Pan American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competitor. Brad’s first Muay Thai Kru (Instructor) Certification was from Fairtex Muay Thai in 2002. Brad is one of the few U.S. instructors certified by the legacy Fairtex Muay Thai Combat Sports Camp under the late Alex Gong, Jongsanan Fairtex, Enn Fairtex, Bunkerd Fairtex and Dr. Knee, Ganyao Fairtex. He is also the only Fairtex Certified Muay Thai Kickboxing instructor in region. Brad is a San Shou Kickboxing Champion as well. He is a proud Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Jared Weiner.
Brad began martial arts training at the age of 5 and received his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do by the age of 15. Since the age of 15, Brad trained in just about every traditional martial art imaginable…from Judo to Aikido, Karate to Krav Maga, he’s had a taste of it all.
Brad is a certified Yoga instructor and a Crossfit certified Kettlebell Instructor. Brad is also working towards his cerification as a mental sports coach as well. Sports Psychology is the missing link in the martial arts, so Brad makes sure to cover this area in the curriculum. Brad is also a certified Muay Thai Referee by the MTIA (Muay Thai International Association). Brad is always on top of the ever evolving martial arts and enjoys cross training with the best teams in the world including Team Quest, Chute Boxe, Team Miletich, Team Lloyd Irvin and more.
Brad also trains the Philadelphia Police Department as well as other Law Enforcement Agencies. He teaches Air Force Cadets Hand To Hand Combat in the tri-state area. He is trained in Tactical Armed Combat from Tactical Response Inc., as well as real, self-protection “mindset” from the Army Ranger Instructors At Tactical Response. Brad is also a certified Commando Krav Maga instructor. Commando Krav Maga is reality based system used by The Israeli Defense Forces.
He has been featured in numerous magazines and books such as “Ultimate Sparring” and “Philadelphia Style”. You can also see Brad on television, on Comcast’s On Demand teaching Self-Defense and in a recent commercial for the History Channel’s “Fight Science” special on Mixed Martial Arts.
Brad is most proud of the champions he builds with the help of the remarkable staff at each of his Daddis Fight Camps. His students have gone on to become champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. That remains his number one goal, to build and breed champions.
He is a NAGA Champion, a North East Grappling Champion and U.S. Grappling Champion.
He is a Certified Miletich Fighting Systems MMA instructor directly under Pat Miletch, former Ultimate Fighting “Welter Weight Champion” and coach to more UFC champions than any other coach to date.
Brad has multiple Muay Thai certifications, including his latest Kru (instructor) certification from The Muay Thai International Association under Master Toddy. Our training centers are official members of the Muay Thai International Association headed by Grandmaster Thosaphon Sitawatjana (Master Toddy), recognized by the Thai government. Many may recognize Master Toddy from his TV appearances including “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen Channel or from MTV’s “I Want To Be A Muay Thai Fighter” Documentary.
Brad does not neglect the “Sweet Science” of Boxing either. The concept of hitting while not getting hit is important to him and so he’s trained Boxing under the likes of 96′ Boxing Olympian John Douglas (out of the world famous Gleasons Gym in Brooklyn). As well as Hector Roca (once a trainer to the late Arturo Gatti and the trainer of the original “Million Dollar Baby”. He also trained Hillary Swank for the movie). And, last but not least, the coach to one of the best boxers who ever lived, Manny Pacquiao, coach Freddie Roach at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym which is widely recognized as the best boxing gym in the world.
Brad Daddis also is the president of The New Jersey Grappling Championships (www.StateChampionshipGrappling.com) which brings in some of the finest grappling competitors in the world.
Brad was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child that he still battles with it till this day. Doctors told him it would be unlikely for him to be able to participate in sports, never mind compete in any form of athletics. He proved the doctors wrong and believes the asthma helped instill a “never give up” attitude with in himself. Although it can make training difficult, Brad believes that we all have our handicaps and that we must fight through them, mentally and physically. He instills this same attitude in his students.
We are proud that our instructors put it on the line themselves where some schools offer instruction from someone who has never tested his or her skills.
Wilson Reis
Wilson is a World Champion Black Belt from Brazil and the reigning Bantamweight Elite XC Champion. He is currently fighting for the Bellator Fighting Championships which airing nationally on MTV2. He is undefeated in Mixed Martial Arts and a World Champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioner. You will receive nothing but world class instruction from Wilson. His accolades are endless and too many to list!
Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling prodigy Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra De Silva comes to us from Sao Paolo Brazil, where he is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt under world-famous Roberto Godoi. Popo, as he is known, has amassed an incredible 12-1 record in Mixed Martial Arts and a 4-0 streak in Bellator Fighting Championships, which has earned him a spot in the upcoming Featherweight Tournament!
Check out Popo’s Bellator tournament profile HERE!
Popo is no stranger to the awards podium, placing in multiple prestigious world and national Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Grappling tournaments. In addition he is a member of the Brazilian national wrestling team and has an extensive background in boxing. Popo brings a fast-paced, acrobatic style of grappling to the mats and has many innovative and cool techniques to share.
Waylon Lowe
- Wrestling
- 2 time state Champion in wrestling.
- 4 time all american in wrestling placing 3rd 1st 1st 1st
- 3 time NCCA DII Champion
- Voted outstanding wrestler at the NCAA Championships senior year
- Coached one year under 3 time word Champion Terry Brands
- Lived and trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado
- Volunteer assistant at University of Penn
- Grappling
- 4 time NAGA Champion
- 3 time NAGA absolute Champion
- 2 time grappler quest Champion
- 1 time grappler quest absolute Champion
- Arnold Classic Champion
- MMA
- Current UFC Fighter
- 8-3 with 3 KOs and 3 Submissions
- Former King of the Cage and Bellator fighter
Jackson Galka
Jackson Galka has been studying Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai at Daddis Fight Camps since 2004. He began competing in Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai in the Summer of 2006, and has since compiled a combined amateur record of 15-4. Jackson is a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu and is currently fighting MMA professionally.
Matt Makowski
Matt started training MMA at Daddis Fight Camps in September of 2004. He started his competitive career a few months after by doing various beginner grappling competitions in which he ranked in the top 3 everytime. His amateur fight career spanned from March 2005 to July of 2007. During that time he garnered a 9-1 amateur muay thai record and a 6-0 amateur MMA record. He won the 2006 WKA Amateur North American muay title, the 2007 WKA Amateur North American MMA title, and won the USKBA Combat in the Cage 175lb title.
Matt began fighting pro MMA in the summer of 2007 and has accumulated a record of 4-1 to date. Some of his biggest bouts were on the undercard of the first ever nationally televised MMA event EliteXC: Primetime against Nick Serra and a main card bout live on Showtime against Erik Apple. Matt has been teaching at DFC for a few years now under the tutelage of Brad Daddis.
Bob Peach
Peach moved to Philly from his hometown of Boston in 2003 to attend Drexel University. He found the Daddis Fight Camps and started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in March 2005 and Muay Thai in 2006.
Peach is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Brad Daddis. He was the WKA 2006 Muay Thai Champion, and is a multiple Grapplers Quest and NAGA Medalist. Peach actively competes in MMA, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Jeff Cressman
Jeff started training traditional martial arts very young, along with boxing and wrestling. He started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai at Daddis Fight Camps in September of 2005. After only a few months, Jeff started competing in multiple grappling tournaments, placing very well. Within a year, he fought his first amateur MMA fight, and now holds an amatuer MMA record of 4-2. Jeff is now fighting MMA profesionally.
Jeff Cressman holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Brad Daddis and is one of our childrens instructors.
Danika Johnston
With more than 6 Muay Thai Fights, Danika’s experience and knowledge is passed on through patient instruction and attention to detail. She is also one of the Kid’s MMA program instructors and excells with our young students..
Casey Bohrman
With over 10 Muay Thai fights, Casey brings vast experience to our members. She is an accomplished striker and takes pleasure in helping our students reach their goals through hard work and discipline.
Jon Zarnosky
Jon has been actively taining and teaching for a number of years now. He has 6 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 5 years of Muay Thai, 5 years as Daddis Conditioning/Kettlebell instructor, He is one of our Kids instructors, an MMA competitor, Former Div 2 college football, and a Tae Kwon Do black belt.
Joe DiFranco
Adult Instructor and Children’s instructor. With a record of 5-1, it looks like Joe will be fighting for a title shot shortly.
Mike Pandolfini
Mike is an assistant instructor and also on a tear in the MMA circuit, winning his last 2 fights in a total of less than 60 seconds!
- Some of Mike’s certifications and accomplishments:
- Bachelors of Science Degree in Health and Exercise Science from the College of New Jersey 2003.
- Certified Cross Fit Level 1 Trainer 2009-present.
- Certified American Kettle Bell Coach under Valery Federenko 2008-present.
- Certified Cross Fit Olympic Weight Lifting Coach 2010- present.
- Personal Fitness Trainer 2000-present
- Has trained the Police, Navy, Airborne, State Troopers and Marines.
Brylan VanArtsdalen
Brylan started training at Daddis Fight Camps in October 2007. Since then he compiled an outstanding Amateur MMA record of 6-0. He also captured the Locked in the Cage Featherweight title through his Amateur campaign. This gave Brylan the green light to go Pro. He has fought on Pro cards such as Bellator Fighting Championship and Matrix Fights.
Along with MMA Brylan has competed in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments as well coming home with the Gold in the PGC’s and US Grappling tournaments. Brylan’s Martial Arts career began wrestling for many years through the Palmyra, Wrecking Crew, and Voorhees wrestling clubs in New Jersey. He has wrestled in numerous tournaments and matches since the age of 6. In high school Brylan was a 4yr Varsity letter man in Football and 3yrs in Wrestling.
Brylan is a Blue Belt in BJJ. He passes his knowledge on to the Adult classes and is also one of the Children’s instructors. Brylan is also a Sergeant in the NJ Army National Guard and is also a certified combative instructor with the Army.
