J. Michael “The Saint” Ray
Hometown: Conifer Colorado, Now out of Loveland
Training out of: AEI
Weight: Fight weight 84 KG/185lbs
Height: 5′10″
Background: Freestyle/Greco-Roman Wrestling, Combat Sambo, Aikido,, judo, Brazilian Jujitsu (Transitioning to Gorilla), Russian Systema, Rukopashnii Boi, American Boxing, Thai Kick Boxing
Sponsors: Combat-In-Effect
Record: Am: 14-0 Pro: 3 - 0 (Not fought Professionally since 2001)
Goals: One fight at a time. I want to be comfortable at the lighter weight (formerly 205lbs). Obviously my goal is a Main card fight and to restructure my personal career to fight full time. But it all revolves around opening my gym for the community’s kids. That has been the top priority of me and from the support of Combat-In-Effect.
I’m presently hoping to fight in August (Moved from July due to trying to get our gym open) and will be competing in the State Games of America in freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling. While still competing as a professional rodeo cowboy (Saddle bronco)
Special Thanks: Ethan Dettenmier and all the CIE family. They revived the dream of us getting our gym open with their support. As far as personally, Thank you to Combat-In-effect also for keeping my kids excited about being on the mat and training, but also helping me get back to competition. CIE gave them a face and something to belong to. Now we just hope to not let them down and get our facility open.
Dave Below is my Press for my training Flyer and the article they wrote on me for more info for you:
Junior Michael Ray has taken training and athletics to a new level for the athlete of tomorrow. His MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Record alone proves he’s done his homework. From his years of training at the Olympic training Center, as an international competitor (Greco-Roman Wrestling; 2009 State Games of America qualifier) to studying fighting styles from all over the world. His first quest was to be the first American to pass the Russian Red Beret test while in pursuit of studying to become an expert in Russian Military Tactics emphasizing on their anti-terror philosophies. That would take him on another journey were he would be called in to sit with Police PPCT boards to help create a better method for Law Enforcement on the streets and guards in our prisons. Studying all he could in the fighting systems as he calls it that “create maximum impact with the safest amount of risk and effort”. He has trained combatively with the best in the world. From our own Special Forces (He served the 19th SFGA) to British SAS, just to name a few, to the great fighters and wrestlers in MMA of our time like Legends Randy Couture and Matt Lindland to name just a few. He transitioned that to studying physical training from the world around, for the best secrets to make a fighter the best possible athlete. He takes his ‘Strength an Honor” philosophy around the country training everyone from professional stunt men to professional athletes and privately training soldiers looking to get an edge. Teaching both strength and honor in the way they train to fight, train to be an athlete and to also carry those principles in their everyday lives. From youth wrestling teams to Professional athletes, he will motivate you, push you and show you that thinking outside the box is the try key to success in both training and life but all with strength and honor. Athletics and professional Sports:
United States Olympic Training Center: Athlete Program and International Wrestler (Greco-Roman/ Freestyle) - 13 various gold medals
Martial Art and Defense Training: Freestyle/Greco-Roman Wrestling, Combat Sambo, Aikido, judo, Brazilian Jujitsu, Russian Systema, Rukopashnii Boi, American Boxing, Thai Kick Boxing and both Japanese Sword Fighting (Kendo) and Fencing
Developer of the A.E.I. Principles of training
NFL Prospect 1993-95 – Minor League 1996, 2004
Professional Rodeo Cowboy (PRCA and PBR) – Saddle Bronc, Bare Back and Bull Riding
Accomplished Triathlete
Professional and Military Experience:
U.S. Army Special Forces - 19th Special Forces Group Airborne– also worked with U.S. Army Rangers, British SAS, Foreign Legion, and Russian Spetsnaz (Private Ambassador to General Ryabko)
Private Security contractor for Eagle International (DOD Contract Ratheon Corp. Boston Mass.)
Law Enforcement (Local and Federal)
Law (Criminal), Corrections and Executive
The story written about Michael Ray) Six months ago Junior Ray was on track to super-stardom. Living in a plush mansion on a private lake in Nashville, Tennessee; touring the country promoting his second album, hanging with country music’s elite. The last six years before that he was working in film, both in front of the camera and behind; topped off with a successful career as a best selling author, (that all stemmed from an average rodeo career). Attending A-list parties where guest lists often times were the whose-who in the entertainment business. The fruits of seven years of endless hours of work, sacrifice and dedication; just don’t ring his Nashville or his Huntington Beach residence—he’s no longer there. In the small agricultural community just east of Greeley, Colorado, at Platte Valley Middle school the youth wrestling program has caused quite a stir. If you catch practice on a week night you’ll see close to eighty young people working in a manner that looks like an Olympian training ground. For good reason, their coach trained at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. They are disciplined and motivated; throughout practice their coach will cry out strength an honor! Where they will respond in time the same. During instruction they run in place. Ask anyone of them and they’ll talk about Coach Michael like he is their best friend. They’ll also tell you that Coach Michael expects the code of strength and honor to go with them everywhere—home, school, their community; that they are to live at a higher set of standards and be examples. They know he is serious; he has been prone to pop into school and check on them. Most if not all the athletes do not know that Coach Michael is Junior Ray. Michael or “Junior” as is his nickname and the name he performs under has become a familiar face in the small community. So well loved is their new coach that when it appeared Ray would leave and return to the Army, the night he announced it to his team tears hit the mat. Parents and young athlete alike lined up and said very emotional goodbyes. A scene Ray could not get out of his head as he drove twelve hours straight through the night to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to begin his processing. He left the entertainment business to pursue a new life, make a difference. Getting married, settling down and then the Army (again) seemed to be the plan. After paperwork bogged the process down to a complete stop, Michael returned home ASAP. His cause crystal clear, just not what he thought it would be when he moved there. Michael over the years has remained active in wrestling and the exploding world of mixed martial arts. He returned to competing this winter were he’ll admit he felt rusty but enjoyed it more then playing in front of screaming, paying crowds. Two silver medal placings in one tournament was not bad considering, but it let the torch. Mixed martial arts and physical training have been more then just his past time. To read his resume it clearly walks the line of passion and obsession. Studying with athletes and trainers the world over, has aloud him to have a life away from the entertainment industry in tune as he’ll put it to keep him sane. His expertise is so vast that athletes, soldiers, fighters and stuntmen call upon him from time to time to train them. Most recently he was a guest instructor at Fort Bliss in their coveted and very successful Combatives program. After years of touring, and fighting to stay alive in a business that is widely known for being less then honest, Michael fells he may have found his rightful place in the world now. Ray re-located to Kersey to have a quiet life, get married and settled down in a place that accept for a handful of rodeo cowboy’s he’s gotten to know over the years no one knew him. He’ll be zero and three on that score card when this hits stands and his new goal is put in motion. Being a coach and getting involved with the community’s youth, it didn’t take long for him to notice that Greeley, the town that sits just under ten miles from the small community had a serious problem. Just google gangs, drugs and Weld County, Colorado, and you’ll understand. “For a small town the problem rivals major cities and bad is not a word I think is enough to define it.” Ray states. So Michael has found a reason to step into the octagon, the wrestling mat and . . . the boxing ring? Ray has unveiled his vision to open a high performance athletic training facility, for mixed martial arts, freestyle/Greco-roman wrestling, boxing and the type of performance training athletes pay top dollar for. Only the catch here is his goal is to make it an environment that will get kids off the streets and involved. Where no child from eight to eighteen will be turned away from programs because of financial woes; and committed to the cause of bettering the community; that along with the gym will have a student center for tutoring and ACT/SAT prep. “I don’t wanted kids sitting at home watching MMA and the UFC. I want to create a place they can go be part of it. Away from the streets and in the gym around a positive environment were being great in sport and school is the norm—college an objective. Coaches played a vital key to success in my life. Now it’s my turn.” Now, in stead of fighting for bigger record deals or movie roles, living the life of a rock star; Ray is struggling, living with a friend on a couch, battling to get the doors open. When he walked away he was left with nothing, a small issue for doing the right thing he’ll tell you. He’s began working on contacting local gang leaders to ask for a area of neutrality or ‘Gang Free Zone’, hoping to work with the District Attorney on getting at risk first time offending youths in a program at the gym. However, when he needed a symbol to put on his cause he didn’t just get support he got another believer. Ethan Dettenmaier, a mixed martial arts fighter and successful entrepreneur who created the apparel line Combat-In-Effect, who sponsors UFC fighters Clay Guida and Kieth Jardine, and professional boxers Gabriel Tolmajyan and Vito Gasparyan. When he heard of Michaels one man fight, it was a cause against the odds he liked. “. . . The kind of school we would feel honored to be involved with…Our “SHIELD” has become a sort of “watchword” for combat-discipline, honor and protection of others and it belong is support of such a fine school.” The support continues to grow but Michael said the Dettenmair and Combat-In-Effect was the addition that gave him hope, and a realization that maybe he wasn’t crazy. Michael began to loose hope until the ‘Shield’ was put up.” This is about making a difference. People can talk a big game but very few actually do. In the Army we live by leave no man behind—well I believe the same for kids. We don’t know how we’ll get the doors open but we will. Failure is not an option. Strength an Honor.” Will Michael ever get in the UFC octagon himself? He laughs but you can see the seriousness in his eyes when he answers. “Tomorrow no. Can I be ready with a bit more time you darn right, that would be a dream come true. But if it meant even changing one kid’s future I’d do it this evening.”
