• mixed martial arts
  • •
  • brazilian jiu-jitsu
  • •
  • submission grappling
  • •
  • kickboxing
  • •
  • functional
  • •
  • athletic
  • •
  • alive

Instructor

Christian MontesCHRISTIAN MONTES
Head Instructor - Ronin Athletics
BJJ Purple Belt - SBGi
Pro MMA Fighter (1-1)
Amateur MMA/Muay Thai (4-4)

Background
My first experience with martial arts was back in 1990, when I began training in Jeet Kune Do Concepts. The eclectic mix and cross-training methods that JKD offered was, at the time, groundbreaking and far beyond that of traditional martial arts. During that time I also trained and competed briefly in amateur boxing. The athleticism and effectiveness displayed by these amateur competitors was truly eye-opening as I had never participated in combat sports outside of the realm of “martial arts.”

I continued training in JKD Concepts, eventually achieving Instructor level, but more importantly in hindsight, it was during this time that I was initially introduced to the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. (1998) The entire martial arts world was intrigued with the fighting style used by the Gracie Family to dominate the early UFC’s and other no holds barred competitions. I was fascinated, challenged, and hooked immediately

It wasn’t until I started competing in BJJ that I began to see the limitations of my other forms of training. The aliveness and athleticism that I found so addictive in BJJ was all too scarce in my personal expression of JKD. I realized that only my current Muay Thai training and previous boxing experience were comparable approaches to the functional training methods I was growing to favor.

It was again through competition, this time submission wrestling and mixed martial arts that I began to see that the holes in my game revolved around wrestling and the clinch range. I had heard about Matt Thornton and was curious as to his approach to JKD/martial arts training. Once I saw the Straight Blast Gym Instructional series (the Clinch tape, in particular), I knew that this was what I was looking for; this was the approach and the paradigm I was already leaning towards. Shortly afterwards I attended my first Matt Thornton seminar at One Dragon Martial Arts in Florida. It was the best training experience of my life and I have not looked back since. The people of the Straight Blast Gym International are not only one of the most talented groups of combat athletes and coaches in the world, but more importantly for me, they are the most genuine, honest, unpretentious, and generous group of people I have had pleasure to associate with.

Having earned my purple belt under Matt Thornton in August 2004, I am proud to represent the SBGi in New York, they have been the biggest influence in my growth as a martial arts athlete and coach. I have now shifted the focus of my training completely to Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, specifically choosing to focus on the coaching of my students and the growth of my gym. The bulk of my amateur MMA/Muay Thai competition experience can be found between 2001 and 2003, however, my most recent fights being two Professional Mixed Martial Arts matches (both in Atlantic City, NJ) in 2006.

While I plan to keep competing until it ceases to be fun and something I can grow from, my main focus is to build up Ronin Athletics. I have spent the last 10 years of my life teaching martial arts professionally and my priority is to provide all the athletes I coach with a fun, safe, and challenging environment and help them realize their full potential as martial arts athletes.

MMA Fight History
Ring of Combat 10 - Atlantic City, NJ 2006
MFC 6 Boardwalk Blitz - Atlantic City, NJ 2006
Mass Destruction 11 - Taunton, Mass 2003
Reality Fighting 3 - Bayonne, NJ 2003
Excalibur Extreme Fight Challenge 13 - Mechanicsville, Va 2002
Mass Destruction 4 - Wildwood, NJ 2001
International Fight Night 3 - Brooklyn, New York 2001
International Fight Night 2 - Brooklyn, New York 2001

Media
Photos:

Ronin Athletics
Ronin Athletics
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