Shoo Rei Kai US History

Our Sensei Jose Luis Raul Montes was Born in Mexico City on March 31, 1952.

He started his Karate journey as a student during his youth almost by accident, he used to play soccer for the UNAM university, he started his Architectural studies on the opposite side of the city, leaving little time for commute, study and practice soccer, so he made the decision to focus on his studies, in 1975, under Maximas Sensei he joined Shito Ryu Karate on the University group until he finished his studies and began to work reaching the Green belt at this time (2 belts before black).

His work was demanding and he eventually stopped attending his Karate instruction and by accident, his wife enrolled him on what she thought it was another Karate school when in reality was Tae Kwon Do, where he trained for 4 years under the direction of Federico Arceo and Leonardo Arceo, reaching the Red belt (one before the Black Belt).

Then, again, because of his work he was relocated to Mexicali BC, Mexico, and eventually joined Butoku Kai, the first dojo he tried to join in his youth, during his stay he trained under Jesse Canedo, Ruben Canedo and Sergio Cortes, in this school is where he obtained his black belt after so many years.

Jose Luis Montes family also trained under Sergio Cortes guidance for a long time, on the year 1991 Seiden Kai was created by the Canedo Shihan and later Shoo Rei Kai by Shihan Sergio Cortes on 1977.

On the year 1995, Jose Luis Montes travelled to the US to visit his family and he stayed working on his family business, during this time he focused on helping the community as translator, and support for the families around him and during the night he spent time training on his own.

On the year 2000, he felt the need to get back to Karate and inspired by Sensei Jesse Canedo's words "A black belt trains alone", implying that he could train anywhere without the need of his Sensei to be present in order to take action, with this in mind, he opened a community group in a local church (Santa Maria del Popolo) in Mundelein, IL, where he held presencial classes without interruptions for 20 years, until March 2020 where due to safety and health restrictions, online sessions were held ever since and until he got sickness for COVID-19 on December 2020 and sadly passing away on February 25, 2021, holding a 4th Dan degree in Karate Do Shito Ryu.

His legacy remains with us and with his daughter Erika, obtaining her 2nd Dan Degree on May 2021.