Not big on following the crowd to football and basketball practice as a teen in Queens, Christian Montes followed the legendary Bruce Lee into Jeet Kune Do and began a journey that led him into the world of Mixed Martial Arts long before folks were paying 44.95 for UFC Pay Per View broadcasts. He learned a full menu of skills in Muay Thai, Boxing, and Jiu Jitsu and became a regular on the New York area MMA scene before it was outlawed. In 2000, he fought in Russian Sambo tournaments in Brighton Beach restaurants on converted dance floors with rules that were less than formal. As the sport grew in 2003, so did his competition: Montes fought a young Joe Lauzon to a decision loss and later battled current UFC regular, Kurt Pellegrino.

Concurrently, Montes was building a base of students as a MMA trainer in New York City with an eye to his post-fighting career. He realized his first love was training others and did not want to risk his career on the promise of octagon fighting glory. In 2006 he found a 5000 Sq. ft 5th floor space on 37th street for just the right price. Ronin Athletics was born and Christian Montes planted his MMA flag in the heart of New York City.

Recently Montes sat down with TriStateFighter.com to talk about the early years of MMA in New York, fighting Joe Lauzon, and the growth of Ronin Athletics.

TSF: What was the MMA scene like back in 2000 in New York when you were pushing your fighting career?

MONTES: Oh, it was great. It wasn’t illegal because nobody had figured out it was going on yet. It was quasi-legal, pro rules. There were weight classes but you could be up against somebody who was one-dimensional type of fighter… it kind of looked like Gracie-In-Action sometimes. Every now and then people started to show, like a Frank Shamrock type of guy, who was the first multiple discipline guy. Then you started to see a Renzo Gracie guy with with strikes and started to see people put it together.

TSF: Where were these fights? Paint the picture for me.

MONTES: The one I did was at the Atlantic Oceania in Brighton Beach. It is a huge restaurant. It was usually Russian/Eastern European fighters versus American fighters. Were put in a corner. The scene was surreal with older Russian men watching. It was a dining hall restaurant and the ring is set up where the dance floor would be. Men of influence were there all done up in their suits. They had their local favorites. It was no holds barred… rules were made sometimes as I was walking into the ring. There was a referee but speaking Russian. We were just coming off the early UFCs and we were hoping to make it look like a sport. It was sanctioned under USKBA.

TSF: Did it feel safe… was this the Russian Mob attending?

MONTES: It kind of looked like it. But you still felt safe. I won a match by arm bar but I did want to leave in a hurry. They always played straight.

TSF: Joe Lauzon is a big star in the UFC now. Talk about your fight with him in 2003.

MONTES: He was young kid. We fought in Mass and it was a wild fight. He is so aggressive, relentless; it was a great fight even though I lost. Afterwards, people said not to feel bad. Everyone said it was great you went the distance. His name started getting big … not surprised at all he has done well.

TSF: You also fought Kurt Pelligrino back in the day. But it was not conventional MMA rules you say?

MONTES: It was open palm, no gloves. You could punch body and kick the head. He was a Renzo guy at that point. Ricardo Almeida was in his corner. He was a New Jersey wrestling champ. I had him in an arm bar and he shook me off and eventually won. It was one round eight minutes.

TSF: Despite these good showings against some of the best fighters in the world you did not get starry eyed about fame and riches in MMA. It seems you always had a back up plan.

MONTES: I had sparred with Frankie Edgar when I was under Steve Katz in Queens. He would come to Queens to spar and I have never had my ass kicked like that before. I was shocked to see him lose. But for me I am seeing myself more as a teacher and this is now a full time business. I never saw pro fighting as something that will make you rich. You want to have something deeper.

TSF: When did you start Ronin Athletics?

MONTES: I started this in late 2006. I was previously teaching out of Fight House and teaching 30-40 students there. I was renting space at Fight House to teach. At a certain point it was like, this is what I am going to do for a career. One of my students was in commercial real estate and found this spot on 37th st.

TSF: What is your philosophy here at Ronin?

MONTES: I want to make it MMA for everybody. I have rookies and other guys who are D1 wrestlers. I have everyday people here and guys who are pro fighters come by here. It is important to me they don’t become cliques and everybody trains with everybody. I will train with everybody nobody cares if you tap.

TSF: Does your curriculum specialize in one area?

MONTES: It is MMA. Standup, clinch, ground. Each of those ranges has a particular art. Personally, my love is Jiu Jitsu right now. Then it will shift and I will spar MMA more, then I will miss take downs and I will wrestle take downs, will miss kick boxing, so you never get tired you can always jump into something else.

TSF: How would describe your client base?

MONTES: A lot of what I see in NYC are guys who used to be athletes and now are sitting at a desk and going to the gym is boring. They want something more intense. I do have some guys who are wrestlers moving to stand up.

TSF: The future: Do you see more young kids choosing MMA over traditional sports.

MONTES: I get email from kids 16-17. That’s how I got into it. I was not good at football or basketball, but then I put on boxing gloves. What I am noticing is in Jersey and upstate New York is they have better wrestling programs so it is growing there faster. They have that technical prowess.

TSF: Thanks for the time Christian. Continued success! How can somebody get in touch with Ronin Athletics if they want to train with you?

MONTES: Go to RoninAthletics.com or email me at info@RoninAthletics.com.