Rhadi, Traci, and Rufus Ferguson

Queston for the ladies: Does The Thought Of You In A Bikini Terrify You?

2011-12-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Let's be honest.

You've done this...

You know you have....

You've gone online or to the store and have
tried to find the most flattering one-piece
bathing suit that you could find.

You told yourself that you would be "bikini-ready"
by the summer? fall? or New Year? and what has
happened is just the opposite.

You are "one-piece" ready.

And you and I know that you want to fit back into that
bikini again.

You can make every excuse that you want to make.

You know them....

* I've had kids.............
* I don't have no time................
* It's too hard to cook my own meals...........
* I'm a single parent and when I come home from work......................
* My man loves my curves............

And everything in between. Look!

You need to make the change and make the adjustment
and stop being scared of the bikini.

For most of you reading this I'm going to be completely
honest with you.

You are ONLY 8, 10, or 12 weeks away from a sexy
waistline and a six pack.

Most of you reading this have done things in your
lives wayyyyyyyy more important than this.

Really.

Many of you have a good job, qualities kids, good
education and a humble abode. So you have
done other things which are not easy and have
accomplished them.

This REALLY isn't that hard, when you follow these
steps >>> CLICK HERE <<<

And it's really not that difficult when you think that you
could literally meet your goal in 10 to 12 weeks.

Training for a 1/2 marathon takes 10 to 12 weeks and training
for a FULL marathon takes 12 to 18 weeks.

All I am saying is this. YOU CAN MOST CERTAINLY DO
IT and it will do WONDERS for you self esteem, your health
and your love life.

Give it a try.....

Why not walk in the mall, into the store and get online
and shop for a bikini.

You most certainly should or should at least have it as a
personal option ;-)

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Dedicated to your improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

You CANNOT EXERCISE your way to a 6 Pack, you have to eat your way to a 6 Pack

2011-12-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Just recently a young man asked me:

"What exercises do I need to do in order
to get a 6 pack. I've done cruches, the
ab roller at the gym and I've bought that
wheel roller thingy that you get on your
knees and roll out on but all that is not
working to get this fat off so I can be
ripped!"

I smiled and said, "You answered your
question within your question."

See none of that stuff works at GETTING THE
FAT OFF.

In order to get the fat OFF you need to
severely change your diet.

Working out. Lifting weights and doing
cardio are all supplemental things.

THE MAIN THING is watching what you
eat. Paying attention to what time that you
eat and monitoring HOW MUCH you eat.

That's it.

It's not about eating "healthy" its about
eating for the function of losing fat and losing
weight.

=================
Did You Know This?
=================

Did you know that if you body fat is 15% or above
that it is almost impossible for you to see your
6pack. You have to get your body fat percentage
lower than that if you want to see your abs.

And that's good to know. Because, who really
wants to have 20, 30, 40 percent body fat.

Some people do, but it's not what they rally want.

So do yourself a favor and CHANGE your diet
and CHANGE your life.

You can find out what to eat, when to eat it and
how much to eat, by watching this PHREE video
right HERE

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Dedicated To Your Improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

Is Getting A 6 Pack REALLY Worth It?

2011-12-05T10:47:00.000-05:00

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Somebody asked me the other day.... "Is getting a
6 pack really worth it. And my reply was.....
"No not really."

But then again.....Looking great is. :-)

Now the question is.... Do you wanna look "average"
or look "great".

I'm sure if you ask your partner, your spouse or
your mate, they'll tell you some bullsmith like,
"Oh honey you look fine just the way you are."

And then they will go to the grocery store
and do a double take at the man or woman
on the front of the magazine or worse yet,
stare a little too hard or too long at somebody
who doesn't look like you.

And then you will have a problem because you
will deal with the "cost" of something that
you didn't think was "worth" investing in.

And so there you have it.

Is it worth it? No.

It it worth it to me? Yes!

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Dedicated to your improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

Confessions of an Obese (Former) Athlete

2011-12-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

================
Introduction
================

Man, I tell you what, I can still remember how much
I weighed when I got to college.

I was 188lbs.

When I graduated from college I was 218.

I had a good career as a Judo Player and even went to the
Olympics in 2004. The weight class in which I competed
was the 220lb weight class, but I only weighed 218lbs and
never had to cut weight.

After the Olympics I gained some weight and hovered around
in the 220s. Then, the 230s and then I decided that I wanted
to fight in Mixed Martial Arts.

I did a couple of fights and then fought on Showtime in January
of 2011 for an organization by the name of Strikeforce. I fought
in the 205lb weight class.

One month after that I was tipping the scales at a whopping 246lbs.

Now I need not tell you that 246lbs is a lot of weight.

I should be around the 212-218 range at all times, buuuuuuuuut,
I really like barbeque ribs and Ben and Jerry's "Chunky Monkey"
Ice Cream. :-)

Also I just workout and eat what I want..... well, I used to until......

+++++++++++++++++++++
Age Has A Way Of Changing
Your Perception
+++++++++++++++++++++

When I passed the age of 35, things started getting very difficult
for me. The weight just DID NOT "fall off" like it used to.

It was work.

I mean REALLLLLLL work.

But it was something that I was able to work on. I mean, I had
to.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The number one predictor
of living long is being lean. The leaner you are, the better chance
you have at living longer.

====================
But why......why the 6 pack
====================

Hell, if you are going to be lean.... you may as well look good
while doing it and I always need to have a goal. If I don't my
workouts and training are done before I even start.

So, even though I have my way, I decided to try a new
way and it works like a charm.

It works soooo good that I'm on a quest to find a better way
and to come up with one. But as of right now, THIS IS THE
BEST way that I know of to come up with a quality 6 pack

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Dedicated to your improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

What You need to do to get a flat stomach in a week or month

2011-12-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

Do not Click HERE read below first

Here are the things that you need to do to get a flat stomach in a
week or month :-

1. Break down your meals – This is the very first thing to do. You
need to break down your meals and take 5 to 6 small meals in a day
rather than having 3 large meals. This will supercharge yout body's
metabolism. And in turn this will help you burn more calories while
doing the same regular activities. Never go on a fast – this will
slow down your body metabolism. To my church folks, I
do believe in fasting but its for losing or getting rid of the
excess spiritual weight not the physical
weight. We use proper nutritional dieting for that.

=====================
If you want some great advice
on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you
years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW!
--> CLICK HERE <--
=====================

2. Operation.....Get it out of there! - This is also one of the
very first things that you need to do. – Check your refrigerator
or cupboard and clear all stocks of food that contains excess fat
or carbohydrates, specially all sweet foods, canned foods,
sweetened drinks like colas,chocolates and everything that you
think may add excess calories to your diet. Just throw them out.
Don't get them away. Don't guzzle them down. Dont say you are going
to start AFTER you eat them (that will only add weeks and months on
to your goal). Just get rid of the bad stuff..... NOW. After you
have done that, fill up your fridge with the type of food that YOU
KNOW belong in there. Fruits and vegetables. Protein and a limited
amount of carbs. When it comest o veggies.....remember green
vegetables are the best as they contain the least calories and a
lot of fiber (fiber cannot be digested by our system so it adds no
calories but definitely fills up our stomach so that their is less
space left). Do not eat too much of sweet fruits too as sweet
fruits contain a lot of sugar. Eat chicken and fish leaving out the
fat. Although I REALLY love steak, it is very difficult to get a
six pack while eating many and various forms of red meat. This has
been my experience. Everytime I get down to "fighting weight" I'm
eating fish and chicken. That's it. .

3. Drink a lot of water – Water has no calories but it does help in
filling your stomach. So drink a lot of water all throughout the
day. I really enjoy Crystal light and a variation of zero calorie
drinks. That's just me. I cannot argue with anyone who says those
things aren't good for you. All I will say is this..... nothing
beats water.That's just a fact. Often I drink a glass of water
before meals so that I wil take in less food to feel satisfied.

4. Intensive workouts – Do intensive workouts – train hard for a
few minutes and then train in a relaxed manner for a few minutes,
then repeat. You may do any thing like cycling, walking or running
in this pattern. Do this for about half an hour. This will trick
your body system and boost your metabolism tremendously..

=====================
If you want some great advice
on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you
years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW!
--> CLICK HERE <--
=====================

5. Small things adds up – Do not use a the elevator or escalator –
rather climb the stairs, do not sit too much – rather keep yourself
busy doing occasional strolls (walking) whenever you get a chance,
do not use a car to go to the market – rather use your bicycle, do
not sleep in the afternoon – rather do a bit of walking, do not
waste your free time. Play. Move. Burn. And if you are in a quality
relationship and have sex, have MORE sex. Force yourself to have
more sex with your partner and just chalk it up as an extra
workout. Increasing your sex diet will help you lose more weight
because sex is a strenuous activity..... well... for most folks.

These were the few things that you need to do to get a flat or
rather a flatter stomach fast that is in 1 or 2 weeks or rather in
a month. Getting a perfect flat stomach will definitely depend on
how much fat you are having before you begin – more the fat, more
will be the time required by you to lose the fat. Getting a perfect
flat stomach in a week or month will also depend upon the amount of
effort you are willing to put in following the above tips.

If you follow these tips and the ones in this VIDEO, you should
have a problem.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

What is important is that – if you start following the above
stomach flattening tips then you will start seeing results in a
week or two for sure. Be sure to check your weight and measure your
waistline before you start implementing the tips so that your
improvements will fuel you and provide the motivation to stop not
till you get a perfect flat stomach.

To bust the myths and know the facts about the best stomach
flattening exercises and abs workouts that will help you to get a
flat six pack stomach faster GO HERE!
If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Dedicated to your improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

My Breasts Were Just Hanging Out!!!

2011-12-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

Do not Click HERE read below first

=============
My Breast......
They were just
Hanging out......
=============

So there I was in the kitchen and my son walks
in the kitchen and my breasts were just hanging
out.

And he says, "What are those?"

I said, "Those what?"

He said, "Those things right there?" while pointing.

I said, "Those are daddy's chicken breasts,
he's gonna cook those for lunch?"

================
Here's A Trick That I
Use
================

I cook all my meal in advance for about 2 to 4 days
so that I can eat on schedule and so that my eating
program is not interrupted.

There's nothing worse that getting hungry and making
a bad decision (i.e. Wendys, Burger King, McDonalds,
Chick-Fil-A, a candy bar, etc.,.) because you are hungry
and don't have the food on hand.

I've done it before and it will absolutely annihilate your
diet program.

Now I know many of you have a goals of getting a 6 pack,
running a marathon and getting back in school and that's
great.

It all happens with great planning and by following
quality advice.

If you want some great advice on how to get that 6 PACK
THAT has been escaping you for years, just watch THIS VIDEO
NOW! --> CLICK HERE <--

Dedicated to your improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

Exclusive Video REVEALS the Secret to a sexy waistline and 6 Pack abs

2011-12-01T08:57:00.000-05:00

Do not Click HERE read below first

==============
Introduction
==============

I was always wondering if there was an easier
way to 6 pack abs than the way which I knew
and the answer is "YES!!!"

Over the years I have learned many way to
achieve a 6 pack. And although I like my
way, it's really not easy for everybody to do.

But this way is.....

>>> A 6 Pack The Easy Way <<<

I am sure you will love this video because this dude
explains exactly what you need to know about
getting a thin waistline and getting back
down to your "fighting" weight....FAST!

=============
Don't Worry
=============

Don't worry. There is....

- No spending hours in the gym
- No 2 hour long cardio sessions
- No marathon training
- No 45 minute swims
- No brutal, vomit inducing training
- No pain and no misery.

This is truly the easy way to a 6pack.

I didn't believe it until I tried it.

Now I'm on my way to trying to construct
something even easier and better but
as of right now...

THIS IS IT!!!

=============
Closing
=============

Take care and watch this video and make
a quality decision today.

Click HERE

Dedicated to your improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD
Fitness Expert

The Dr. Rhadi Ferguson Official Homecoming 2011 Recap and Homecoming 2012 Message

2011-10-25T12:42:00.000-04:00

HOMECOMING 2011

This year was different.

After coming off of a specatular 2010 Homecoming, I was trying to out do 2010 in 2011. I found myself trying to "force" homecoming. I was trying to "make" the experience something that it wasn't.

The truth of the matter is this... no matter how much my ego doesn't want to admit it..the truth is.. Howard doesn't NEED me to be live. She was "live" before I got there, she's "live" now and she'll be "live" when we leave here.

We were blessed to have the opportunity to allow our feet to brush upon the landscape of greatness of the campus. We were privilege to sit in the seats where great minds, hearts and spirits have been built, nurtured and matured. We were fortunate to spend time with one another and become part of Howard's family. And somewhere along the lines of all the partying and playing. I forgot that.

I forgot that Homecoming is meant for me to go "home" not "go out."

Nothing, trumps the yard experience. Nothing. Not Bobby and his van, the Love, not Diddy, not the Park, Indulj, an afterset, a party, a jumpoff, some fresh bait. NOTHING!!!

So I struggled as homecoming drew near because I'm in the "tweener" stage. I'm at the point where I don't want to let the party go, but I know the time is coming.

See, as we get older our homecomings become more exclusive. They are parties but the people decrease. We need to sit more because our feet hurt due to the fact that were are classier now so we wear classy shoes and with that we need to sit. It has nothing to do with age. Believe me. If the ladies wore flats all weekend they'd be fine, but they do not.

Why?

Well, because flats are for the FAMUs and Alabama A&Ms of the world.... not Howard. :-) Our Bison Queens wear stilettos and high heeled shoes (with red bottoms) with a price tag upwards of $250 and it has nothing to do with being pretentious, it's just where we are in life as........... Howard Grads.

And with that being said, we no longer want to be bumped when we go into the club.

We don't do lines or line drama.

We don't wanna wait for drinks and we have zero desire to be inconvenienced.

We are not 18, 19, or 20.

And this is what many are realizing. This is what I realized before homecoming.

So I struggled as homecoming drew near because I'm in the "tweener" stage. I'm at the point where I don't want to let the party go, but I know the time is coming.

In 2010 I could remember how tired I was on Sunday after "pushing" so hard on Saturday night. This year, I began to ask myself, "Why?"

Why push?

Just rest.

Just relax.

Just enjoy the person you are with and make love to the Howard Experience.

Hold it, Massage it.

Caress it. Love it.

And then lay in it. Its soft. (PAUSE)

It's soulful.

It's Howard.

There's no need to rush. To go from club to club to club to club.

I had to realize this. I had to learn that it's okay for me to "saddown somewhere" and relax and just enjoy the company I am with.

I was dealing with this before homecoming.

So I struggled as homecoming drew near because I'm in the "tweener" stage. I'm at the point where I don't want to let the party go, but I know the time is coming.

As homecoming was getting closer I began to think about what was important. I reflected on the times I had in school and I thought about the people that I helped and the people that NEEDED my help and those that helped me.

And those people were not going to be in the club. They were in hotels. On the yard. In restaurants, and at the football game.

I had to think about the young woman in school who I watched get pregnant, stay in school, graduate and become a professor. And who's children that I absolutely love and adore. - Professor Jefferson.

I thought about the man who went to Howard for 6 years, had his classes purged every semester because his money "wasn't online" and is the Godfather to my two children and is now a professor of chemistry. - Dr. Stewart

I thought about the woman who mentored me and showed me the ropes in school and is one who I respect and love and is my son's Godmother. - Dr. Rone Wilson

I thought about the Coach that has produced more PhDs per capita than any Howard University Coach in the past 25 years. - Dr.Paul Cotton.

I thought about what it was like to line up on Saturda's and play for the Bison. And what it feels like to watch the fellas that I played with, now coach the Bison. - Flea, Ted, Billy, and Bobby.

As Homecoming drew near I thought about all of this.

And although I remembered the times that I partied.... the Quigley's, the Ritz, Zei Street, etc.,..... those aren't the things that I "remember"

So I struggled as homecoming drew near because I'm in the "tweener" stage. I'm at the point where I don't want to let the party go, but I know the time is coming.

What I remember is the night during my freshman year that me and Brent Hughes had solid "F's" in physics and missed what was probably the livest party of our Howard matriculation period which was happening the night before our test and we could not go because we were studying.

We both aced the test.

We missed the party.

But we aced the test.

This is what I remember.

I remember the time when I got a phone call letting me know that one of my teammates had been shot and killed and I thought about how each day is precious and how he could no longer line up for the Bison when I was in school. So I treasured the days when I practiced, even in the cold, because he could no longer play. (R.I.P. #29, Derrick Wynn)

I remember going to the mental institution to see one of my teammates that had a bipolar disorder.

I remember studying in the library with Kevin Thompson and struggling in Calculus 3 with Lenford Lloyd.

I remember the first time I really connected with Winston Williams and he let me borrow $800.00 to go to summer school and I paid him back in a check and added some extra to the money for his troubles. He dug in his pocket and gave me the diference for the overage and said,"Bro. that defeats the purpose of us being friends!" He let me borrow $800.00 and would only accept $800.00 in return. I tear up thinking about this now because I love him so much and I should tell him more but I don't.

These are the things I remember. And I KNOW I partied at Howard, but those things aren't the things that I remember.

Those things aren't that important. Really they aren't.

(....and please keep this in mind as you go from club to club to club looking for the "livest" party. Just stop and observe who is in the car or the cab with you and realize YOU are already a part of the "livest" party because you are around your friends. It wouldn't matter if you parked the car on 9th and P and sat there and talked. Your HOMECOMING WOULD BE GREAT!!!! I had to remind my friend of this as she complained about traffic. I said, "Hey, we are in the traffic together. This beats talking to you on the phone. Relax and enjoy the traffic with me. It's homecoming.")

So I struggled as homecoming drew near because I'm in the "tweener" stage. I'm at the point where I don't want to let the party go, but I know the time is coming.

I know I have to let the party go. But I hold on to it and tell myself, "Oh I wanna go to this party because that's where all my friends are gonna be." When the truth of the matter is this.

At Howard, the Ques, meet at the dial, the AKAs meet by their tree, the Deltas meet on their plot, the fine arts students sit in front of the fine arts building, the Kappas are by their tree, the football players are by the trees and benches when you come on to the yard and in front of cook hall, the athletes are in and out of burr, the freshman are in drew and the quad, the engineering students are in lewis k. downing, the school of b students in the school of business, the communications students in the school of C, the science students are in the valley and......YOU GET MY POINT.

EVERYBODY IS ON THE YARD.

With that being said. This year as I was fielding all the phone calls and the texts and trying to "force" homecoming and actually blowing my homecoming high unnecessarily...... I said, "F#$% IT!!!!" I am NOT running to any club to see people.

The PEOPLE are on the yard.

I see my wrestling coach - Dr. Cotton EVERY year and we never call. We never talk, we never even address meeting up at homecoming.

You know why?

Because his ass, just like mine, is ON THE YARD!!!!!

This is what I had to understand.

This is what I had to digest.

This is what I was fighting.

This was MY problem.

So I struggled as homecoming drew near because I'm in the "tweener" stage. I'm at the point where I don't want to let the party go, but I know the time is coming.

As I stood on the yard about 50 yards away from the stage I could hear Whodini rapping that old song, "Friends.......how many of us have them? Friends? Before we go any further lets be friends."

And I looked over at my friend Shay and her daughter Amani and her other daughter and I said to myself. I am hanging out with someone that I have known for 17 years. Who grew up with some of the same people that I grew up with in Miami. I looked at her daughter and said to myself, "Damn, I played football with her father. And I said to myself, "Okay, I got it. THIS is homecoming. This is what its about. It's a reunion. NOT a party." There maybe some partying in it but it's not about the party. NOT for us. Not for the real Bison.

And at that moment I realized that I was exactly where I needed to be.

As homecoming approached, I made a change.

I picked who I wanted to hang with.

Decided who I wanted to see and how I was going to spend my time.

And on everything else I let the chips fall where they may.

I'm at the point now where I'm not leaving the game to go somewhere else. Hell, if I leave the game early, I don't see Krystal Randolph who is a dear friend, who was one of the athletic trainers in 1996 when we won the Black College National Championship. She showed me her ring on the sideline and I know the thought that went into putting in on as she came to the game. These are the things that homecoming are about. THIS!

I LIVE to sing that Alma Mater on the field after the game. And cannot wait until my son lines up and sings it with me because he KNOWS IT NOW. :-)

And I'm not leaving the yard to go rest.

I will rest from the rest of that stuff, but I will be where I am supposed to be.

I will be at Howard University ON THE YARD.....

AT HOME!!!!!!!!

As we get older, its the only place that we can guarantee that we will see each other. So there's no need to ask me what party I'm going to in 2012. If you wanna meet, you know where I'll be.

I'll be.....on the yard!!!! (and the tailgate will also suffice).

I'm sure I will struggle my way through homecoming during this tweener stage because I am at the point where I don't want to let the party go.

But like that light at the end of the tunnel....which is a train... I know it's coming!

And I want to say this..... every year we are blessed to see each other. Some folks did not make it this year. The yard is ever changing and ever morphing. We are just holding a spot for a period of time. Next year, hold yours down. And, Lord willing, I'll see you..... on the yard.

I LOVE YOU! I MISS YOU! AND MOST IMPORTANLY I RESPECT YOU!

BISON!!!!

*** R.I.P. Zandi!! She was NOT on the yard this year :-( We miss you and love you!! ***

Let's start trending this now..... #HUHC2012 and follow me at @HUHC2012 on twitter. Let's get it in!

http://www.twitter.com/huhc2012

Howard Homecoming 2010: One For The Books!

2011-10-25T12:38:00.000-04:00

Howard Homecoming 2010: One For The Books!

Every year, I countdown the days of the year and await the celebration of a lifetime. Not for the sake of frolicking or for the sake of foolishness but for the sake of tradition. Not the tradition of meeting but a tradition of "meaning". I graduated from Howard University. And that has meaning. It means something to US and that may not and may never mean anything to you if you did not attend Howard or if you didn't take in everything that Howard University had to offer. I did.I dived into the big pool called Howard University and I swam until I got tired and then I allowed myself to drown in the pool and allow the "me" in me to die and I rose A BISON!

And that means more than most will ever know.

I have relationships and friendships with some of the greatest individuals in the world.

I have been inspired, uplifted, carried, helped, influenced, and admired by people I can truly call my friends.

I don't know about you but returning to Homecoming reminds me of the theme song from Cheers.

================================================

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows Your name.

You wanna go where people know, people are all the same,

You wanna go where everybody knows your name.

===================================================

I just cannot write about Homecoming and my friends without tearing up.

It's just not possible.

I can't tell you how important they are to me.

My friends and my fraternity brothers do my heart good. I'm so blessed to have them. I hangout and laugh and act the fool's part with the best of them, but I want to let you all know, seriously, I count it a privilege to come "home" and see you every year.

I'm not silly, I can clearly look at some of the others groups of people that I have seen over the last 18 years and I see their groups getting smaller and smaller. And there's a reason for that. Over time our groups will get smaller and smaller too. I see the people who pledged in the 70s and 80s doing tributes around the monument and in the valley for the people who are no longer here and it makes me want to hold on to you all tighter when I hug you, laugh harder when I see you and talk longer when we meet.

Because I truly understand the richness of the moment, the gravity of the opportunity and the privilege of your presence. Please know that I'm looking forward to growing old with you all.

I still remember when me and Lenny Lloyd took calculus together in Locke Hall. When Brent Hughes and I pulled an all nighter when we both had F's in Physics One and banged out the final and pulled a B in the class. I remember my experiences in "the cloisters". The first time I met Deidra Jackson and she lied to me LOL. How cool Kay Rone was on the yard and that sexy look she had when she look at you sideways. I remember the phone call I got when they told me that Derrick Wynn had gotten shot. I remember everything. When I see you all, I REALLY see you. I remember Shantrelle Lewis through her Supermac phase all the way to her Erykah Badu phase LOL.

I remember when Bro. Kevin Thompson, an Alpha, took me under his wing and showed me how to get out of engineering and the proper way to study. I remember Sinclair Skinner, a Kappa, taught me how to use the Fraternity to work on my entrepreneurial skills. I still recall Dr. Sonya Smith and how she used to haze us up in engineering after coming from a predominately white school and thinking that the same rules applied here (they do not!). She IS MY FAVORITE INSTRUCTOR FROM HOWARD! BAR NONE. And still fine. (I can say that, I'm not in school anymore LOL). I could go on and on. I remember G. Stewart's first fight on campus all the way to his last one this weekend!! LOLPartying is cool, hanging out on the yard is nice, but just seeing your face and knowing that you are okay and that I have a friends who love me too is PRICELESS!!!

Howard U.!!

Tuesday Rant: “He Doesn’t Belong To Us Anymore”

2011-04-05T11:06:00.002-04:00

=====================
Today’s Transmission was
brought to you by Dr.Ferguson
private coaching seminar in May
www.RhadiFerguson.com/blog/private-coaching
========================

Greetings:

I was watching a documentary on Showtime yesterday about Nelson Mandela and there was a point in the documentary where his sister was speaking. She was a dark-skinned woman but not of the dark chocolate persuasion. She was more of a rich cocoa complexion and her eyes were deeply set in her face as if they had been placed in such a position by time. Her orbital and cheek bones were very prominent, yet she did not look as if she had not eaten. If I could describe her face with one word, it would be WISDOM. She just looked wise and the lines on her face look as if they could lead you to a place of enlightenment. I took all of this in. And I listened. I couldn’t understand a word that she said but I knew it was important and poignant, so I watched her first. And then, I rewound the video and read the subtitles as she spoke about her brother. She said, and I’m paraphrasing here because I don’t remember what she said, word for word…

She said: We had to recognize that he didn’t belong to us, he belonged to the people. So we understood when he could no longer write as often, visit or call. He doesn’t belong to us anymore.

I watched her as she said this and as a matter of fact I rewound the video SEVERAL times and watched it from varying perceptive angles. I looked at it as if I believed that she was sad, I watched it as if I believed she was happy, I viewed it as if I believed she were proud, I observed it as if the relationship was damaged but she didn’t want to say so.

I watched it and I watched it. I watched it like I break down film on opponents. And here’s what I got from it.

I HAD TO STOP READING THE SUBTITLES AND LISTENING TO HER VOICE. I turned the sound off, I muted the television and I watched her eyes with the focus of an eagle on a field mouse. And that is when I got it. I heard her without listening but through the listening.

All she was saying was, or what I read was, “he left here a long time ago and hasn’t looked back.”

=============
Here’s The Rough
Part
==============

I don’t care what it is that you choose to do. If you choose to do it at a SEVERELY high level, some people close to you are going to disagree and many are going to get hurt. And it is up to you to decide if you can sleep at night with what you gain, and with what you lose. Because you WILL lose some things and some people.

The game of life allows for you to win and it allows for you to lose and sometimes you drink from these sweet and bitter cups simultaneously.

Case in point, there’s no way for Michael Jordan to play 80 games a year, year in and year out, at a high level, and train and practice, and also be in the backyard throwing the baseball with his son on a regular basis. Not possible. There was a time when Mike had to understand that he belonged to the people and not just to his family. And WE expected Michael to belong to us.

My life, although not Michael Jordan-esque, is VERY similar to yours. I make some VERY radical decisions which allows me to achieve some fantastic things, see and meet some amazing people, to live a life very different than anything that I had imagined as a youth, but it comes with a price. Good Lord, does it ever!

And it’s one that I’m happy to pay because ordinary doesn’t work for me. Nor does listening to people on the phone offer criticism whom I believe lack respect and integrity and understanding for what I do. I’d rather grab them by the back of the neck and ram their head into a concrete slab and knock out their two front teeth in order to provide them with some personal improvement tasks to complete as a favor to them, than to listen to them tell me about some things which they can’t, could not, or are too afraid to do.

I like Mike, but I don’t wanna be like Mike.

I dig Nelson Mandela, but I’m not sure I want Nelson’s problems either.

I am having a tough enough time walking in Rhadi Ferguson’s shoes and creating a path as I go.

Today as you read this I want to let you know this:

In January of 2011 I spoke with the Stanford University Cardinals in Miami before their Orange Bowl Game. I then hopped on a plane and went to Nashville, Tennessee where I trained for a few days, dropped 20 pounds, weighed-in and then fought on Showtime for Strikeforce. The next morning, face swollen and all, I hopped on an early morning flight to attend a Marketing and Business seminar held by Lloyd Irvin in Washington, DC, then I returned to Tampa, where my wife was out of town. Oh, I forgot to mention that in January I was living in Boca Raton, Florida at our other home training. Then my wife returned home and I left to begin a 13 city speaking tour with LuBear Corporation and the US Navy SEALs. After the first leg of the tour, I returned to Tampa and then drove to Boca Raton for my daughters 1 year old birthday celebration. I stayed in Boca, the family left for Tampa the following morning and I flew back out for my speaking tour.

And while all this is going on, I’m sure you all recognize the constant barrage of emails, blog posts, tweets, etc.,. And I just finished my first scholarly journal article which will be published in May and I did an interview with Black Enterprise Magazine which will be out in May as well.

Soooooooo. When I am home, I try my best to really spend a lot of time with my wife and kids, but I do also understand this. I get hundreds of emails, a couple of thank you notes in the mail and a lot of text messages from people thanking me for what it is that I do and I am appreciative. And I recognize that, I do belong to you and have taken the responsibility that comes with that.

About 10 years ago I recognized that I wanted to teach, coach, lecture and help people. And that’s it what I do. And that arm of help extends to, not only my family, but to everyone that is willing to accept it. And that means that I do things which in MY BUSINESS are incorrect, like Coffee With Rhadi.
My “Coffee With Rhadi” segments should be a paid for monthly or weekly service or expanded into an audio product, but that its not what I’m called to do. That is my way of tithing and Thanking God for the position and placement which I have and am afforded. Giving it required.

Not BOGUS giving.

Not giving because you bought something (don’t get me started on that), but giving JUST TO GIVE! And I do my best with that. And does it drive business? Yes. Is that the sole purpose? No. Because, truth be told more people just watch and comment, than watch and buy. And that’s okay. If somebody had a better moment, a better day or a better week due to something that was provided to them through one of my videos, then my mission was accomplished.

=================
Rhadi Ferguson on
Money
=================

First, let me say this. I don’t know one person who has ever been washing clothes and has reached down into the pocket of a pair of pants and found $5 dollars or a nice dub ($20) and got upset. So we can agree that having money CAN make you happy. Just like not having it CAN make you sad.

I will say this. I love having money and I hated not having it, but I DON’T LOVE MONEY. Money IS NOT the root to all evil. THE LOVE OF MONEY is the root to all evil. I don’t love money. But I do understand also that money answers everything (this is scripture, look it up, don’t hate the messenger). And there are many times in my life when I have said or had to say, “I can’t afford that right now” or “We can’t afford that right now” and I am doing my damnest to run that phrase into the realm of obsolescence.

I don’t run schemes or scams. I get paid from the work I’ve done or am doing. And I DO EXPECT to get paid from the services that I provide based upon the years of expertise that I bring to the table to the tasks or services that I render. And that’s it.

That’s how I feel about money.

================
Wrap-up
================

I’m sure you’ll notice that today’s email is just a buffet of stuff that was on my mind. And you know what? That’s okay, because who else do I have to share this with, but you?

If you weren’t there to read, I wouldn’t be able to write. So, thanks for reading, thanks for caring and I will continue sharing.

=================
My Main Man Rufus
==================
My son, Rufus’s birthday is TODAY. He is 5 years old. It seems like yesterday when my wife popped him out. LOL

===================
Seminar At My Home In
May
====================

I’m sure you know that I’m having a private seminar at my home in Boca Raton, FL in May. It is going to be awesome and I’m sure you will love it. You will be able to get all of your questions answered about MMA, training, strength and conditioning, weight cutting, business, marketing, etc.,. I will cover the ins-and-outs of MMA preparation on and off the mat. The key is walking out of this private coaching experience with systems to put in place.

>>> http://www.rhadiferguson.com/blog/private-coaching <<<

=================
Closing
=================

Take care and have a super fantastic day.

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
http://www.CoachFerguson.com

New Development In Ferguson-Hood

2011-03-03T08:57:00.002-05:00

======================
This Message Has Been Brought
To You By Chump Repellent
The #1 Product For Increasing
Personal Productivity
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com
=======================

===============
Introduction
===============

I have 2 kids.

One just turned 1 year old.

And one, my main man Rufus, is turning 5 years old in April.

The rough thing about April, if you remember, is that my birthday
is on the 3rd, Rufus's birthday is on the 5th and my wife, Traci's
birthday is on the 8th.

We coined our birthday time "Three-Fifty-Eight" .358 caliber bullet
because we recognize that we have to knock all of these birthday's out
with "one-shot" LOL.

So April will be ANOTHER birthday celebration,with another GINORMOUS sale.

==============
Of What?
===============

Well, because my main man Rufus does Judo, I'm going to offer one of my
Judo products that I snatched off the market which I will be offering again.

Judo Scouting Reports!

People absolutely loved this product and then I pulled it off the market in order to create a
"soft", green and downloadable version of Judo Scouting Reports.

So, as we prepare for Rufus's birthday, I will keep you informed and let you know how
much money my wife spends on this one ;-/ If we keep going at this rate, we'll be on
MTV doing the "why do you spend so much money on your kid's party" birthday show.

You know the one I'm talking about.

================
Closing
================

Well, that's it for today.

As normal and as usual, please, if you have not already, get your hands on
Chump Repellent today at >>> http://www.ChumpRepellent.com <<<

Take care and have a super fantastic day.

P.S. Here's a blast from the past and an Important Reminder

P.P.S. >>> www.ChumpRepellent.com <<<

Ohhh-kayyyy! Gimme your Valentines Day Story

2011-02-16T09:13:00.000-05:00

What's Up?

I'm pretty sure many of you went
"all-out" for Valentines Day.

If so, I want to hear about it.

Do me a favor and email me and let
me know all about it.

I'm looking forward to hearing some
good stories.

Also, check out my "Coffee With Rhadi"
video that I shot on Valentines Day
concerning relationships.

(video is funny, but true)

Take care and have a great day.

Without Chumpness,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.
http://www.DrFergFans.com
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

[Very Important Read] My Daughter Turns One And The Prices We Pay In Life

2011-02-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

Time: 5:33am

Date: 2/10/11

================

INTRODUCTION

================

Last year ago, at this same time, my wife Traci

was pregnant with my daughter Rhadi.

I can still remember getting the 4D ultrasound

images and saying to myself, "Wow, she looks

so much like Rufus."

Well, tomorrow she will officially be 1 year old.

I look at her around the house and watch her

as she's snatching everything that she can get

her hands on down to the floor.

She's walking around and screaming and laughing

and walking up to whoever she can and putting

her hands up in search of a taker who will

pick her up.

If you are eating something and not offering, she

whines. If you give her something that she doesn't

think tastes good, she shakes her head back and

forth and tries to push it out with her tongue LOL.

She is absolutely hilarious and funny. And her mannerism

are just like mine almost to the point where I have to

ask myself, "Am I that darn stubborn and bullheaded?"

To which my wife answers, "Yes!"

The little girl is determined. She's a 1 year old bully.

Pushing her way through the house, taking things and then

putting her hand behind her back when you say, "Give it to

me" and then running off.

I can see right now she's going to be a challenge, but a

welcomed one. I look forward to the day where she'll be

in school and playing sports.

I'd love to get on here and tell you how much I love my

daughter, but I'm sure you already know that. You know

I love both of my children, Rhadi and Rufus. I try to spend

as much time with them as I can, while still working and

sharing a HUGE portion of my life with you all.

==================

LIFE IS LIFE..

==================

At times, life is tough. I'm not Michael Jordan by any stretch

or a Randy Couture for that matter, but I do have my following,

my fans, my friends and a faction of people who count on me

for information, products, a word of encouragement, coaching,

training, teaching and quite honestly, to do the right thing.

It's rough at times, trying to balance the providing to both

areas of my life because quite honestly, one feeds the other.

I think the most recent difficult part of my family and professional

life was when I began training full time again and entered

the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

When I jumped in, I jumped in with both feet. No hesitation,

no retreat, no looking back. I started in January 2010 and when

I say I started..... I mean I started.

I packed up, left the house and began training. I did it the right

way, the professional way, the ONLY way.

Well.... as many of you know. I ended up being so super-focused

that I missed my daughter's birth. She wasn't due to be born until

early March, so I thought I had time to train. Boy, was I wrong.

After getting beat up and knocked around in sparring, I woke up

in the morning to find out that my wife went into labor and

there were no flights for me to get home.

So Rhadi was born and I wasn't there.

Got on the next thing smoking, got home, saw my wife,

my daughter, and then..........

==================

TRAINING AND PAYING

==================

Then the training continued.

Everytime I'd visit my home my son would ask me, "Daddy

are you gonna be here when I wake up in the morning?"

If you don't know what that feels like, LET ME ASSURE YOU

it is not good.

But this is the life of the professional athlete.

You train, you compete, you get criticized for your performance

when the critics have less than10% of the facts and you embrace

your wins and your losses, knowing that both come on and off

the mat and that everything comes with a price.

A lot of times the balancing act of life is like walking on a tightrope.

You tilt to the left.

You tilt to the right.

You shake a little, wobble.

The crowd "ooohhhs and ahhhhhs" but you keep walking and

don't fall off. The tilts to the left look bad to some, and the tilts

to the right look bad to others, but only you, on the tightrope, and

other tightrope walkers know the TIGHTROPE walk.

The other people..... well, they've bought a F*CKING ticket and

are sitting in the stands for a reason. So talk to the other

spectator sitting next to you in seat 14B and let me do my job.

There's a reason why I'm doing the TIGHTROPE WALKING and

you're doing the spectating. Well, several reasons. And they

don't have anything to do with me being better than you, because in

many cases, hell a lot of cases, some of us TIGHTROPE WALKERS

wish we were in the stands.

===================

THE TRUTH REVEALED

===================

Let me repeat that... "in many cases, hell a lot of cases,

some of us TIGHTROPE WALKERS wish we were in the stands."

Many times,

But.............

...but you can't jump down off the tightrope and into

the stands....THAT'S SUICIDE!

You gotta FINISH the walk and then go down the ladder and then

you can sit in the stands. But you GOTTA finish the walk.

As my daughter turns 1 year old and as my son is 4-1/2 I look

back on my tightrope walk and I smile.

I've tilted, teetered and have even lost my balance a time or two,

but I didn't fall off. To all of you reading this who have children, a

family, a professional life, and other goals and aspirations, I want

to tell you this.

==================

Rhadi, can I have it all?

==================

YOU CAN "HAVE IT ALL"...... AT THE "HAVE IT ALL PRICE!!!!"

And that means that you REALLY can't have it all. Because, by

default, if you have to PAY, you REALLY didn't keep it "ALL" now did

you? ;-)

You just have to decide, "How Much It's Worth To You" and then

be willing to pay the upfront and backend costs associated with

your decision(s).

And life is like living in a big house. You have more, because you

pay more, you sacrifice more, you do more.

To the person, who doesn't have it to pay and in some cases, doesn't

want to take the risk of paying, it doesn't make sense to them,

but it doesn't have too. You live there.

But ain't it funny how they always want to visit? ;-) LOL

Because they want to live like you live, experience what

you experience, but not PAY what you pay. Man.... go have

a seat in the stands.... I'll be there when I get done with

my walk. I didn't bother you when you were making yours. ;-)

So as my daughter turns 1 year old tomorrow. I will put out

my digital footprint with this email and blog post. So that if and

when you see her when she's older and you notice her because

she has the same name as I do, you will say, "You father was one

heluva tightrope walker?"

===============

CLOSING

===============

I thank you for reading and for celebrating my daughter's 1 year

old celebration with me.

As I said before, if you want to get in on the fun, you can do so by

go here and getting the Rhadi Isabelle Ferguson Birthday Celebration

Discount

Go Here: http://www.rhadiferguson.com/blog/happy-birthday-rhadi-isabelle-ferguson/

Take care and have a super fantastic day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rhadi Ferguson

2004 Olympian

4-Time National Judo Champion

BJJ Black Belt

Master Educator, Trainer, Teacher, and Coach

....and Rhadi and Rufus's Dad :-)

P.S. Make sure you go here today to join in on the celebration http://www.rhadiferguson.com/blog/happy-birthday-rhadi-isabelle-ferguson/

You Gotta See This Picture

2011-02-08T06:25:00.002-05:00

======================
This Message Has Been Brought
To You By Chump Repellent
The #1 Product For Increasing
Personal Productivity
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com
=======================

I was traveling this weekend. I was in
Vegas for UFC 126 and my wife knows
how much I really don't like traveling after
doing the years of traveling with Judo and such
mainly because I miss spending time with my
children, Rufus and Rhadi.

So what she did was send me a picture of my
kids holding up a picture of me.

Check it out: http://twitpic.com/3wrle1

=================
It's My Daughter
Rhadi Isabelle Ferguson's
Birthday This Weekend
================

My daughter will be celebrating
her 1 year old birthday.

And because of that I really, really want
you to get in on the birthday celebration.
So what I'm going to do is allow you to
get some of my products at a huge
discount, mainly Chump Repellent.

All you have to do is go here and follow
the directions :-)

>>> http://www.rhadiferguson.com/blog/happy-birthday-rhadi-isabelle-ferguson/

I certainly hope that things are going well.

I have some massive planning to do for this
birthday party weekend.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
Master Trainer, Educator and Coach
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

[Video Enclosed] My Son Rufus Made Me Very Nervous....

2011-01-19T14:10:00.001-05:00

======================
This Message Has Been Brought
To You By Chump Repellent
The #1 Product For Increasing
Personal Productivity
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com/
=======================

===============
Introduction
===============

My son Rufus had his first Judo competition
this past Saturday on the January 15, 2011.
On Friday night I was getting somewhat concerned.

Here's what made me nervous.

He was whining about how he did not want to
fight on Saturday and I am so concerned about
not forcing him into the sport of Judo that I told
my wife, "Hey, if he doesn't want to fight, I don't
think we should force him to fight."

My wife looked at me and said, "No. We came
here and he's going to fight, because in his
life there will be plenty of things that he doesn't
feel like doing that he's going to have to do!"

Whoa!!!!!

====================
The "Real Dr. Ferguson" had
just sprayed me with some
CHUMP REPELLENT!!
====================

Rufus was having a Chump Moment and then
the spirit of THE CHUMP jumped on me and
I started to have one and my wife straightened
me right out!!

I got silent and then said, "Honey, you're right!"

And boy was she ever right.

=====================
The Day Of The Competition
=====================

On the day of the competition, we took 2 cars.
My mother-in-law, my wife and lil Rhadi were in
one car and Rufus and I in the other.

On the way to the tournament, Rufus
says, "Daddy, I'm going to beat them
down."

LOL

I was laughing on the inside because the lil
fella reminds me of myself.

When we get to the tournament site and
start walking in the parking lot, little Rufus
says, "Daddy I'm gonna take them down and
then I'ma choke them."

At which point, I say, "Hey, hey, hey. You can't
choke at your age. No choking!"

Which he clearly doesn't understand because people
his age in Jiujitsu learn how to choke and armbar,
but that's another discussion :-/

So...... we get to the venue and Rufus has one
person in his weight class. So it's a true double
elimination tournament.

Rufus will fight either 2 or 3 times.

This is GOOD for his first tournament. I don't want
the lil' guy to get overwhelmed.

During the day, I stay quiet. I allow his coach to
do the coaching. I DO NOT INTERFERE.

===================
PAUSE FOR A SLIGHT
RANT
===================

Because as a coach I know that there is NOTHING
WORSE THAN A PARENT WHO THINKS THAT THEY
KNOW MORE THAN YOU DO AND IS CONTSTANTLY
CHIRPING IN THEIR CHILD'S EAR about what it is that
they think you are doing wrong, what it is that they think
you don't understand, or what it is that you don't realize,
and what it is that they think you are missing.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATING AND PISSES ME
OFF as it does MOST coaches. And I don't want to
treat someone else like that.

Side note: If that is HOW you feel about the person
coaching your child - LEAVE!!!!! Coach your kid yourself.

You ARE not helping the process by constantly interjecting.

SHUT THE ------- UP AND LET THE COACH - COACH!
OR GO!!!

Okay.... I've made my peace.

==================
Back to the Story LOL
==================

So I stay out of the way and I just do the daddy thing
and I'm loving it. I just offer encouragement and
take pictures and video.

Rufus warms up with his team and his coach.

Rufus gets ready to compete.

They call Rufus to the line and I'm GETTING nervous.

It's weird. I don't get nervous walking into the cage to
put my life on the line, but I'm nervous when my son
is fighting. LOL.

And then my man Rufus does what he does best.

I'd love to explain it to you but I think it's best that you
watch the video. :-)

=================
Rufus Ferguson Match
One
=================

==================
Rufus Ferguson Match
Two
==================

===================
I remember when we
started here
===================

====================
Rufus Doing Private Lesson
on Guard Passing with Rhadi
Ferguson
===================

===================
Congratulations To Rufus!!
===================

Rufus Ferguson is the 2011 Florida Judo Open State
Championships CHAMPION in the 23kg Division.

I've never had this feeling before. People were coming
up to me and congratulating me and I was beaming
with pride.

Hmmmm. I wonder what it must feel like to have your
kid graduate from college? Wow! That must be something.

Well, it was a great weekend. I'm very appreciative to
Sensei Diaz of Mambi Judo Club in Tampa, Florida.

I'm super appreciative to my Mother-in-Law Sheila T. who
takes Rufus to Judo practice 99% of the time because
Traci is working and I'm training.

I'm just really thankful.

I can't wait until Lil Rhadi Isabelle gets out there.

================
Closing
================

Have a great day and remember, even the best of us
can have a Chump Moment from time to time, the
key is having the right tools to recognize these
moments of weakness when they present themselves
and repel them and there's one way to do that.

Get Chump Repellent today!

http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

Take care and have a super, fantastic day.

Dedicated to your Improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
Master Trainer, Educator and Coach
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

P.S. One of the major keys to being successful in sport is to eliminate the “gaps” and “holes” in your preparation process that you just wouldn’t see until the fight was over. I’m telling you right now getting your hands on Chump Repellent http://www.ChumpRepellent.com is one of the best things that you can do for your personal productivity this year. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about parenting, fighting, training, coaching, working or running a business. Your personal productivity will skyrocket once you find out how to reduce the Chumps out of your life, how to repel them like the plague and how to eliminate the chump moments AFTER being able to clearly recognize them.

[Important Update] My Mother-In-Law

2010-09-30T12:50:00.002-04:00

===========
Introduction
===========

Okay, if you've been following my blog, my emails or my facebook or twitter account for any length of time, then you know that my mother-in-law lives with me now.

And she came to live with us in March or somewhere around that time frame.

When she came to my home she was HUGE!

There, I said it.

And... NO, I have no shame in saying it.

She walked through the threshold of my door at a whopping 280 pounds.

Thats right 280.

And she brought all of her fat behaviors, fat thoughts and fat tendencies with her.

THAT'S RIGHT....I SAID IT.

So what?!?!? Deal with it.

She walked in my house and put her Super Sized cup of sweet tea on my counter and her McDonalds bag on my dinner table and I damn near had a conniption!

=================
"Awwwww Helllll Naw!"
=================

I can remember throwing all of her food in the garbage and her sweet tea down the sink and watching the look on her face as she thought I was "disrespecting her" in "my house" LOL!

Ha! I still laugh thinking about it.

But...............

It was all Traci's fault (my wife).

She didn't hip her to the house rules so she had to learn the hard way.

Now I am HAPPY TO REPORT that my mother-in-law is NOW

(DRUM ROLL PLEASE................)

236.

That's right.

From 280 to 236 with ZERO exercise.

Who da man?

You da man Rhadi! You da man!!! (I will not wait for you to give me a pep rally, I hold my own numerous times throughout the day.) - Yes, I said it. Deal with it!

================
Now That's The "Praise
Report"..... There's
Another Report >:-\
================

Now this ride ain't been all "greens and chitlins" (translation... it hasn't been easy). LOL

Just now as I write this, I just found a Pepsi in my frigde that I just poured down the sink.

My mother-in-law still sneaks off to fast food joints because she still has "incorrect" thoughts and she still gets "excited" at the thought of bread, pizza, cakes, pies, hush puppies, fried fish, fried chicken and rice.

And that's COOL!!

Once an addict, always an addict.

================
Confession
================

About a month and a half ago, I took one of my friends from the Bahamas to Krispy Kreme because he never had Krispy Kreme donuts before.

Now I know, Krispy Kreme is a weakness of mine, but I thought I'd be okay. So, I went with him and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in glazed donuts (ha, ha - funny joke for the people that get it). And before I knew I was sitting on my couch SICK. Stomach hurting. Filled with donuts and 2% milk. (can't have them Krispy Kremes without the milk! Thats like a sin..... a double sin!)

Now I know I'm a Krispy Kreme addict. I will be in rehab all my life and I will always have a problem. I accept that.

Now what some of you need to accept is the fact that YOU HAVE A FRIGGIN' PROBLEM.

And that's cool.

What's NOT cool, is to think that your problem is bigger than YOU.

===============
Here's What I Know
===============

Everything that the "man upstairs" puts on your plate, you can handle.

Believe me.

This problem that you have, is just that.... a small problem.

But like my mother-in-law, you can't fix it without some help or some people around you supporting you.

I smile on the inside when I see my mother-in-law get up from the couch and not have to do the "counter-balance" rock in order to get up.

She doesn't even realize she doesn't do it anymore.

She can reach down and put on her shoes without taking a deep breath.

And she *smiles* every time she checks her weight on the scale.

She admits that its difficult and different, but she loves her new look.

I just want her to be around for a long time. That will make my wife happy.

And...... what makes my wife happy, makes me happy ;-)

===============
Conclusion
===============

Keys for the day....

1. If you're married... make your spouse happy.
2. Eat right and get tight.
3. Problems have a solutions. Problems aren't Phree and neither are the solutions ;-) (they cost time and/or money)
4. Get the help you need. You can't just pray. You have to work and pray.
5. Listen to me. LOL (seriously.... listen to me....I'm serious >:-| stop playin'....... LISTEN TO ME!)

Take care.

Dedicated to your Improvement,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com
http://www.MaximumDumbbellTraining.com

Big News!! Rhadi Isabelle Ferguson is here!

2010-02-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

Big News!!!!

My wife, Traci and I had a new baby girl yesterday!

Her name is Rhadi Isabelle Ferguson. She was 6lbs and 5oz.

I know this little piece of information doesn't have anything to do with the Jimmy Pedro Newaza Coaching Program, but I'm so EXCITED, I had to tell somebody!

Just to let you know the pre-sale will end on the 14th of February, so you really should pay close attention to the information below.

On February 14th, 2010 The Jimmy Pedro Newaza Online Coaching Program will be en force. It will be LIVE!!

On that day YOU will be able to get your hands on the most informative newaza information available.

Please go to http://www.LiveJudo.com and have a look around and lookout for my email on Sunday, February 14th that says, "I Love Newaza, Don't You?" :-)

See you on the 14th.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D. CSCS
2004 Olympian

P.S. If you'd like to see some pictures of our daugther Rhadi Isabelle Ferguson, you can see them here >>> http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4627028&id=525396411

Today Is Our Anniversary (I Love You Traci!!)

2009-06-30T16:37:00.002-04:00

June 30th

Today is our 7th Anniversary. It seems just like yesterday when my son was born and I was training and studying at the Olympic Training Center. Now the Ph.D. is finished, my son is 3 and my wife and I are chilling in Cocoa Beach by the water. It’s weird.

I still remember what life was like when we lived in Columbia, Maryland and we used to have this coach that had a permanent divot in it. It was the worse coach ever. If you slept on it, you were guaranteed to have a hurt back upon your awakening. We laugh at it now and just thank God for the ability to continue to believe and continue to achieve.

Life has been something else, but I’ve definitely looking forward to spending more years with my wife. I never believed in that soulmate stuff when I was younger, but now I do. It’s amazing to love another person like this. Its different than how you love your children. Your children are your own flesh and blood, the relationship is a different level of tightness. Your spouse is your best friend, your confidante and the protector of your secrets, your shortcomings, your emotions and your biggest fan, supporter and encourager. The relationship is symbiotic and loving, while maitaining a constant ebb and flow of emotional highs and lows. Its weird but I love every minute of it. I love my wife, Traci, to the point where sleeping alone without her if I’m on a trip or she’s away at a conference is uncomfortable. I can be fully dressed and feel naked because it’s like I don’t have her there.

I know you don’t read my emails to hear all the sappy stuff, but when I come to you, I come with everything. I want you to know that I have a wife and a son. That I really am into fitness. That I believe in eating healthy. We go to church most Sundays. Afterwards we eat at Cracker Barrell and I eat the double meat breakfast which is all protein. I really love coaching and prefer training in the gi than without the gi and some other stuff that I’m sure you already know about me.

So that’s that.

I also wanted to let you know that I appreciated the emails that many of you sent concerning anniversary ideas. Because I was crunched for time, I took your ideas and mixed them all together and am staying at a hotel in Cocoa Beach that has free Salsa dancing lessons on Tuesday night and a free Jazz on Wednesday night and am staying in a room overlooking the water and ordering room service. I’ve already had two pieces of chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Tonight at 10pm the wife and I are headed to the gym…..DEFINITELY!

I also wanted to let you know of some new things that are coming up very soon…* I will have some 1 day and 2 day seminars in Boca Raton in the months of October, November and December on various topics. I will have some special guests as well.

* I will have some 2 day seminars in October/November in Melbourne, Florida. You can fly directly into Melbourne via Delta Airlines. It’s gonna be great

* The release of Morote Gari is here today >> http://www.MoroteGariDVD.com << href="http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/">http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com it costs absolutely nothing and will provide you with some great ideas for your personal fitness plan or for your clients if you train othersWith that being said….Thank you for your time and take care.Much Love and Respect,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.

P.S. If you do judo, bjj, or sambo, you MUST get this right now >> http://www.MoroteGariDVD.com

Lil' Rufus's Tire Workout With Daddy

2009-03-24T14:37:00.002-04:00

Rhadi Ferguson, PhD, CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
JUST "GOOGLE ME!!"
http://www.rhadiferguson.com
http://www.TheStrengthAndConditioningKing.com

Introducing...Dr. Rhadi Ferguson

2009-03-03T12:36:00.006-05:00

From the desk of Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.

On March 2nd at the time of 1:58pm I successfully defended my dissertation and was provided with the privilege to put the letters"Ph.D." after my name and "Dr." before it.

At this moment I can tell that I'm still somewhat numb.

I've been in school for a looooooooooonnnngggg time.

As a matter of fact, I can recall studying into the wee hours of the morning in Sydney, Australia while attending the 2000 Olympic Games as an alternate and training partner. I remember that it was around the same time when I was beginning my studies in the Masters of Arts of Teaching program at Howard University. It was the first of many late night international rendezvous that involved books, a desk and a couple cans of Coca-Cola Light(the European version of diet coke).

I can recall living at the Olympic Training Center and having to decline many offers to go out and hang out. It wasn't because I didn't want to, it was because I couldn't. My day was jam-packed with training, preparing, studying and developing papers which had to be submitted at the end of every quarter. It was a brutal existence. I can still recall what it was like to leave the tatami area in Spain after practice at one of the roughest training camps in the world and going straight to the Internet cafe while everyone else went into their room or to the beach to play.

I still remember the nights where I stayed up on the computers at the Olympic Training Center and went directly to the weight room with no sleep and working off of nothing but desire and espresso!!

I have plenty of stories for you but none quite hit home as much as the time I was doing my comprehensive examination. For my comps at Capella University I had 4 questions which I had to answer and each question was 15 pages a piece. And the questions as well as the entire submission had to fit a certain format which the university requires. Well, as I was finishing up my first 3 questions and getting ready to start my 4th question I heard my wife say, "Oh!" I said, "Oh what?" She said,"Oh! I'm having contractions!" To which I replied,"Oh." I not sure if my "oh" was the preamble of an"oh s---!" or an "oh no!" or an "oh, I guess we better go."

But I do know that I was feeling somewhat"oh"-ver whelmed. Well, the due date for my comprehensive exam was already set and it was about 3 days away. I can recall being in the hospital room tapping away on my laptop while my wife was in labor. I think the nurses thought I was the most insensitive father-to-be in the world,but they didn't understand that if you don't pass your comps YOU are OUT of the program. Period, end of story. And that was not an option. Needless to say, I finished but question 4 was not one of my best and I was given a onetime rewrite which I had to resubmit in 72 more hours. Staying up all night at the Olympic Training Center was definitely good practice for what I was going through. Needless to say, I passed and then began the dissertation process.

===============
The Doctoral Journey
===============

I can clearly say, without hesitation, that the journey to the Ph. D. was THE MOST DIFFICULT and one of the most fulfilling times in my life. There are numerous people that I need to thank as well as a number of people which I need to apologize to for, as my former wrestling coach Dr. Cotton said,misplaced anger.

It was certainly tough and certainly a thought provoking experience. I can clearly remember the day which I decided to pursue a Ph.D. I was attending one of the best graduations in the country, bar none, every year.That is,of course, the graduation at Howard University. And I saw the Ph.D.'s walk onto the stage to receive their degrees. At Howard, out of the thousands of students in attendance, ONLY the Ph.D.'s get to walk up on the stage to receive their degrees. And I remember hearing the name, Jorielle Brown. I couldn't believe it. I scrambled to get my hands on a program and searched through it and sure enough there was her name. I attended Howard during the same time Jorielle did and I couldn't believe that she was walking across the stage and receiving her Ph.D. I began to ask myself, what I had done at that point which was so significant. I couldn't find an answer. At that time, I was pursuing my Master's Degree and I had won a couple of National Championships and missed making the Olympic Team.

=============
Statistics....
=============

Statistically speaking....

This is an excerpt taken from the website
http://www.bankjr.com/teachers/tDoc.jsp?subject=FACS&doc=ProSports.html

Planning on Pro Sports?
Do you really have a chance of becoming a professional athlete?

Many students today believe they have a career in sports just waiting for them as soon as they get out of high school. The reality is that only 2.9 percent of all senior boys playing interscholastic basketball will go on to play in the NCAA. Only 1.3 percent of senior males playing in the NCAA will go on to play in the NBA. The chances of a high school senior boy who plays interscholastic football eventually being drafted by the NFL is approximately nine in 10,000 or.09 percent.

These statistics are startling considering that many more than this percentage plan on becoming a player in the NBA, MLB, or NHL. Many students don't realize how few athletes really make it in today's world of pro sports.These statistics are not only for basketball, but the chart below lists the statistics for Football, Baseball, Ice Hockey, and Soccer.

Check it out.

Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level

Student-Athletes
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Football
Baseball
Men's Hockey
Men's Soccer

High School Student-Athletes
549,500
456,900
983,600
455,300
29,900
321,400

High School Senior Student-Athletes
157,000
130,500
281,000
130,100
8,500
91,800

NCAA Student-Athletes
15,700
14,400
56,500
25,700
3,700
18,200

NCAA Freshman Roster Positions
4,500
4,100
16,200
7,300
1,100
5,200

NCAA Senior Student-Athletes
3,500
3,200
12,600
5,700
800
4,100

NCAA Student-Athletes Drafted
44
32
250
600
33
76

Percent High School to NCAA
2.9
3.1
5.8
5.6
12.9
5.7

Percent NCAA to Professional
1.3
1.0
2.0
10.5
4.1
1.9

Percent High School to Professional
0.03
0.02
0.09
0.5
0.4
0.08

Note: These percentages are based on estimated data and should be considered approximations of the actual percentages.

(c) The National Collegiate Athletic Association

Now PLEASE understand this. The probability of becoming an OLYMPIAN is less than what you see on the chart.

With that being said, in 2002, after completing my Masters Degree, I thought that it would be very important to place a go a that is somewhat more achievable in place.

I said, somewhat more achievable because attaining a Ph.D. is no walk in the park either, but it sure is a better bet, statistically speaking, than putting all of your eggs in the "I hope to become an Olympian" basket. It certainly is sad to see many athletes who strive to make an Olympic Team and then when they fall short they have nothing except the fact that they tried. It seems as if no one ever explained to the them that the likelihood of them becoming an Olympian is super super slim.

Therefore, I urge and even implore many of the clients that I coach to attend school. When its all said and done, being an Olympian is great, but being an Olympian with a Ph.D. is better. And if you don't get the Olympian title, by all means please make sure that you go to school. It's a better bet than saying, "I want to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics." I'm not saying that you should dream big. What I'm saying is that you should dream big and also live realistically.

==============
Thank you
==============

As with many of my emails or blog posts, this one probably isn't going to be politically correct, but, I gotta do what I gotta do....

I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for providing me with opportunity to achieve greatness in spite of the times when I definitely didn't deserve it. I appreciate Him for allowing me to be when I couldn't understand who I really was. I also appreciate him positioning people in my life who were able to help me, push me, inspire me, and propel me towards each goal that I have had the opportunity to pursue and attain. I write this email in awe of Him and humbled by His grace and mercy.

I would also like to thank my wife, Dr. Traci Ferguson, whose loving care and tenderness allowed me to pursue a goal which put more than somewhat of a strain on the family. I appreciate the times when she picked up my slack in terms of my familial responsibilities because she recognized my educational pursuit as an investment and something that would provide a household standard of excellence for our son, Rufus Alexander Ferguson.

I would also like to thank my parents, Rufus and Stephanie Ferguson for their untiring love, unwavering support and their many nights of fasting and praying.

I want to also thank my son's Godfather and my brother from another mother, Dr. G. Stewart. He is beyond inspiring,beyond exemplary and THE TRUE definition of the word FRIEND. His place in my life cannot be underestimated, reduced or disrespected. He is...... (I don't even have to finish the sentence because that's how solid my main man G.is. He just is....)

I would also like to thank so many of you that have prayed for me, supported my business endeavors and even those who have hated on me for no reason at all. I'm in the process of trying to acquire more haters because that is one of the true measuring rods of success. :-)

Take care and thank you so much. I will post pictures of my graduation in the near future on my facebook page. If you are not on Facebook, you need to get on there IMMEDIATELY. I am listed under "Rhadi Ferguson". Send me a friend request and I'll take care of you. Or you can just follow me at http://www.twitter.com/rhadi and I will keep you up to date on what's going on in the life of the Ferguson's.

Thanks again,
Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D.
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
BJJ Black Belt
http://www.rhadiferguson.com
http://www.MoroteGari.com

P.S. After my I graduate on the 13th of March I am going to have a HUGE sale on a new judo product that you are going to absolutely love. It will be absolutely AMAZING.

Check Out Lil Rufus Training With Daddy

2009-01-12T13:56:00.001-05:00

Nice Drop Seoinage.

http://www.TheJudoCrusader.com

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

==============
Happy New Year
==============

Surely you know that many people didn’t make it through 2008. If you are reading this you should count it as a blessing to be here. Some were not as fortunate.

What does this mean?

Does it mean you are lucky?

Well, in my opinion, it means that you are here for a reason and that you still have some work to do on this earth.

It is my suggestion that you find out what that noble, honorable and good thing is and the things which are subsets of that and get to work on it.

Please take this time to really look at your life and what it is that you want from it.

Don’t make any New Year’s Resolutions, just do the right thing as often as you can.

If you are little bit heavier than you would like to be, please make quality decisions about your life and your health and stop making excuses.

I believe that the cartoon below says it all:

================
On Another Note
================

If you see something that needs to be done, don’t wait for someone to ask you to do it…. Just do it.

If you see a piece of paper on the ground, pick it up as if it were money and put it in the garbage can as if the garbage can was a bank.

If there’s a light on that is not in use… turn it off.

If there is a way that you can help someone, try to help them.

And in the converse, if you can pay for a service, then do the honorable thing and pay for it. Don’t try to ask for handouts all the time.

And don’t complain about how much something costs. If it costs too much for you THEN ITS NOT FOR YOU. My pastor told me that. If it was meant for you to have it, you’d have it.

When you are going through something difficult, smile. You’ll be surprised how it will change your outlook of the situation. And even if it doesn’t, you may just inspire someone else.

And most of all – don’t forget to Love. Love those around you, love those who are not around you and love the people who you are glad aren’t around you.

Take care and have a blessed and prosperous 2009.

If you have any questions about the New Year or if you are interested in giving your input before my next upcoming tele-seminar on how to make 2009 Your best year ever, then please visit http://www.AskRhadi.com and submit your questions or input.

Happy New Year,

Rhadi Ferguson

Christmas at the Fergusons

2008-12-30T10:25:00.003-05:00

Greetings:

I know many of you like to take a "peek" inside of my home so here you go.
Check out the video....

"Christmas at the Fergusons"

You will laugh some and be surprised that we are pretty traditional in our approach to Christmas.

So here you go

Take care and have a Great New Year.

Rhadi Ferguson
http://www.RhadiAndTraci.com

She asked, “What Happened to the Coloreds?”

2008-11-06T13:49:00.004-05:00

=============
Introduction
=============

It’s pretty difficult for me to express the great joy and gratitude that I feel concerning Barack Obama's win.

The gratitude that I have is for individuals like my parents, Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Kwame Toure, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharton, Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and countless others who were visible and some who weren't. Upon the backs of these individuals Obama was able to become President of the United States of America.

I can honestly say that a vote for Obama was not a vote for democrats, nor a vote for your particular platform; it was a vote for the healing of America. Believe it or not, one of the biggest problems that we have in this country is racism. It rears its ugly head at the best of times and at the worst of times. And it began as a historical part of the foundation of our country. Internationally it is one of the sour spots about the United States. Fortunately, on the 4th of November we were able to take a step in the right direction in order to heal ourselves. I can only imagine what would have taken place if McCain would have won. I truly think that it would have set race relations back about 50 years in this country and the rioting would have been sad and terrible.

==========
A Community
Organizer
==========

I can remember at one time when Sarah Palin and the Republican Party were making fun of Barack Obama for being a community organizer. Well, I can tell you this. That is exactly what Obama did in his campaign. He organized communities on a National level.

I never got involved in any campaign and really wasn't doing anything in this one until about 2 to 3 months ago when my friend and mentor Winston Williams called me up and asked me, "What have you done for the Obama campaign?"

I replied, "Nothing."

And he said, "And you think that's okay? Bro. you graduated from Howard University and you can read and write and vote because people made a sacrifice for you and were willing to die and they didn't even know you. They died before you even existed in order to improve your existence. You owe them."

I am definitely paraphrasing our conversation. But I am here to tell you that I took about a 15 minute tongue lashing for which I had NO REPLY. I immediately got of the phone and did the thing that all good husbands do. I immediately started verbally chastising my wife and asking her, "What have YOU done for the Obama campaign?" I did this right after I gave an online donation so that I could have the 1-up on her because I figured if I was feeling bad, that I shouldn't be alone. :-)

All joking aside; though Traci and I got active immediately and we made sure to get our son Rufus involved in the process.

We attended voter registration drives, debate watching parties, rallies, we did community canvassing (knocking on doors), held up signs on the street and drove people to the polls to vote.

When Barack Obama won, I felt empowered. I felt like I had accomplished something great. I can remember what Winston said when he told me, "What are you going to say when your son asks you about what you did during this time history. Are you going to say that you didn't do anything except for vote? That is EMBARRASSING!"

And he was right. That would be embarrassing.

I was so glad to get my family involved in campaigning for Obama that I couldn't even tell you how it makes me feel. http://tinyurl.com/6yd9kz

==============
Elizabeth Straight
==============

One of the highlights of my campaigning and canvassing experiences was Elizabeth Straight.

Elizabeth Straight is 92 years old and she is originally from Long Island, New York. Her New York accent still fights its way through her southern experiences so that you know her roots.

She moves very slow and deliberate, but she's very sharp. She has a very bad case of arthritis and she has some Katherine Hepburn type of movements in her senior age (her head shakes from side to side quite a bit). She is very talkative. I think it’s because she doesn't have anyone around her all day and she really wants some help with some things around the house.

Well, here's my story.

While canvassing in a trailer park community, I knocked on the door of this one trailer. And low and behold Elizabeth comes to the door. She is somewhat apprehensive, but I guess she reasons in her mind, "Really, what in the hell can I do." And then it seems like she relaxes, especially after I show her the flyers that I have in hand.

I said, "Good afternoon ma'am, my name is Rhadi Ferguson. Have you voted today?"

She said, "No. These two colored gals were supposed to take me but they couldn't so I didn't go. I don't have a way to get to the polls."

I said, "Ma'am I can take you to the polls if you don't have a ride. Do you have your ID and voter's registration?"

Elizabeth replied, "Yes."

I said, "Okay, I'm going to get my car and drive it around. I'll be right back."

Now Elizabeth walk with the aid of a walker and it took about 2 to 3 minutes to get her from the steps of her home to the door of my car. I had to be super careful because I did not want her to fall at all.

After getting her to the car, I had to help her sit down and then physically put both of her legs in the car by taking hold of each leg and guiding it slowly into the car one at a time.

I then work my way to the driver's side after wiping my brow from building up a good quality lather of perspiration.

Then we headed to the polls.

But wait.

I asked Elizabeth, "May I see your ID and voter's registration."

She showed it to me and it read republican.

No problem. I'm doing my civic duty.

Elizabeth said, "I'm a republican but I'm voting for Obama today. I'm just tired of all this and I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be able to vote for a colored man for president."

And she gave the cutest smile even though some of her "pearly whites" weren't so pearly and some of them had retired from years of long service.

When we arrived to the polls, the people were helpful and they were kind of taken aback. Because I clearly didn't look like I was a medical professional who was helping her and we definitely didn't look related.

At the polls one lady asked Elizabeth, "Is this young man with you?"

She smiled and said, "Yes."

During our conversation to the polls, I found out that Elizabeth had not eaten all day because she was waiting for the "colored gals" to take her to the polls and she said that if she ate she would have to use the restroom right away and that she needs to be at home for that.

So while she was going into vote and I was parking before meeting her inside, I called my wife and let her know that I had a friend coming over for dinner :-)

So Elizabeth finished voting and I got her back into the car and we headed to my house and that is when she asked......

"What happened to all of the coloreds? They used to be so nice. Now all I see on television is shooting and killing and robbing. When I was growing up we used to walk by a colored neighborhood everyday and they were so nice. What happened?"

Now, here's one of those situations that you really didn't plan for when you woke up in the morning.

I replied, "Elizabeth, the colored, ahem, I mean African Americans are good quality people. Most of them are like me to be honest with you. It's just that the ones that you see on the news are the ones that they want to show you. My wife is a doctor and a great mother and she hasn't been on the news yet. We went to great schools, we pay our bills on time, we help out people in the community, we donate money time and services, but there are no reporters following us around about that. That's just how it goes. The media is trying to create an 'angry black man' image that they want you to feed into and also they want you to be scared of people like me."

Then the truth came out like she was given some truth serum...

She said, "To be honest with you. I was scared when you came up to my door because I just don't know what to expect from the coloreds, but you are a nice colored man and the two colored gals who help me out are nice too."

Well we finally arrived at my home and Elizabeth was happy to meet my wife and my son. My son Rufus gave her a big hug and she just smiled. I asked her if she liked fish and she put both of her hands together and said, "I just love fish. We used to go fishing all of the time when I was a little kid.......... " (Believe me when I tell you that the story was long, but I'm glad that she had someone to tell it to.)

After she finished eating, she complemented my wife on her cooking. We took a picture and talked some and then Traci, Rufus and I took her back home.

>>>> http://tinyurl.com/6j4oth <<<<< closing ="="="="="="="="="="="="="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">

RhadiFerguson
*** GOOGLE ME!! ***
2004 Olympian
4X National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach
http://www.Rhadi.com
http://www.TheStrengthAndConditioningKing.com
http://www.Rhadi.tv
http://www.CoachFerguson.com
http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com
http://www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com
http://www.MaximumDBTraining.com
http://www.BeyondTheRings.com

I Just Can't Write About Obama Right Now... :-)

2008-11-05T11:47:00.002-05:00

http://tinyurl.com/6j4oth

This is the best that I can do.

If I write anything about Obama or the election it d@mn near drives me to tears.

I will try to write something later on, but as of right now I just cannot.

I'm so happy and overjoyed that I'm speechless.

Take care.

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach
http://www.rhadi.com
http://www.AskRhadi.com

Here’s How To Celebrate Halloween

2008-11-03T09:52:00.002-05:00

===========
Introduction
===========

First of all I want to let you know that I’m very sad today.

Today is Halloween and although my family and I don’t do the Halloween thing, we did buy an astronaut outfit for Rufus and he’s going to wear it to the church tonight as they are having something at the church for the kids.

What makes me feel so bad is that I’m in Colorado Springs at the International Strength Training Conference and I’m missing the first time that my son is getting dressed up and putting in his little outfit.

My wife said that she put it on him yesterday so that he could try it on and he absolutely loved it. As a matter of fact, he cried his freakin’ eyeballs out when he had to take it off. Traci told me that she’s probably gonna have to let him sleep in the outfit this evening because he doesn’t want to take it off when he puts it on.

The unfortunate part is that because I travel a lot, I miss some of the “first times” with my son. It bothers me and it hurts but it is what it is. I not the only one that feels like this and I really try to “love up” the lil’ guy when I’m at home because I know a time is coming when I am going to have to leave my home again.

==============
Here’s How To
Celebrate Halloween
Or what my family
Calls “Pumpkin Day”
==============

Because of my passion for my profession and my family I can pretty much give you the best advice of how to spend “Pumpkin Day”.

SPEND IT WITH YOUR FAMILY.

That’s right.

If you don’t have children, find one of your relatives that do have kids and go spend some time with them. Family time is important.

I can tell you right now that there is no “rewind” button on my watch. I can’t nor can you get any of the time back after it moves forward.

This is another reason why I’m absolutely urging you to make some quality decisions today as well as in November and December when it comes to your food choices and your decisions about exercise.

=============
Here’s What
We’re doing
=============

Traci and I are training for another 1/2 Marathon in December and a full marathon in early 2009. We will probably do 2 half marathons this year. For one of them we are going to walk with Rufus in the stroller so that he can have his first ½ marathon experience. It will be fun and I truly believe that it will set the tone for the health and wellness directive of the family for 2009. In 2008 we did an excellent job in terms of our health and wellness.

Here’s what you can do.

You can start getting on a plan for success today.

At this location >>> http://tinyurl.com/pumpkinday you can access some great tools for you and/or your family to start getting in great shape.

If you are a beginner at exercise and you want a nice and easy program in order to get your started, I would recommend the following:

1. The BackYard Workout & 2. Maximum DB Training.

These are excellent places for the beginner exerciser to start.

If you are a little bit more advance and are looking to really get a great total body conditioning program in place, I would highly recommend The Total Body Workout.

And if you are having a small problem with keeping everything together and you need some “inspiration” to keep you going then Chump Repellent is what you need.

Whatever the case, start moving towards dropping “one or two” not adding and extra “one or two” as we get deep into the holiday season.

Ok?

>>> http://tinyurl.com/pumpkinday <<<

===========
Closing
===========

Take care and have a super fantastic day. If you want to catch up with what I’m doing then make sure you check me out and “FOLLOW ME” on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rhadi

Be healthy and be safe,

Rhadi Ferguson
*** GOOGLE ME!! ***
2004 Olympian 4X
National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach

P.S. 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson and 2008 & 2004 Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray (http://www.Taraje.com) are coming New Jersey in November

Taraje and I are going to show you some remarkable things that you can utilize immediately to increase your submission rate and your throwing percentage.

I’m truly looking forward to seeing many of you soon.

The Seminar in New Jersey is on the 9th of November
Only 4 Spots Left For The New Jersey Seminar
>>>> http://www.rhadi.com/Nov9Seminar/

The Seminar in New York is SOLD OUT!
THE NEW YORK SEMINAR IS CLOSED
>>>> http://www.rhadi.com/Nov8Seminar/

Taraje and I will see you soon. If you have any questions about the seminar please don’t hesitate to email me at info@rhadi.com

Howard University Homecoming 2008

2008-10-27T09:57:00.012-04:00

For those of you that don't know.... I attended Howard University TWICE!
From 1992-1997 and then I returned from 2000-2002 to complete my Masters Degree. I absolutely love Howard University and cherish my Howard Experience.

The great thing about Howard University is that you don't necessarily have to attend Howard University in order to have a "Howard Experience". My wife, Traci Ferguson, was a matriculant Georgetown University, but she had some great Howard Experiences. So much so that during Howard University Homecoming people ask her when she went to Howard. The crazy thing is that she never went to Howard, she just spent a good deal of time at Howard.

I try to bring people to Howard University's Homecoming every year. Some people come, some don't. This year I wanted my friend, former client and 2004 Olympic Teammate Taraje Williams-Murray to come to Homecoming this year.

Taraje could never understand why I made such a big deal about Howard's Homecoming. During one year when he was competing at the United States Judo Open, Howard's Homecoming fell on that same weekend. He asked me if I was going to the US Open. I replied, "Nope, I'm going to Homecoming." It wasn't until Homecoming weekend this year that he told me how pissed off he was about that but admitted that he could understand why I didn't attend.

As a matter of fact, I've place in a couple of US Open's but I only won one US Open. And I can pretty much tell you why. I was soooo pissed off because in 2001, the US Open fell on the the same weekend as Howard University's Homecoming!! I can remember packing my bags and telling myself that everybody was going to pay for me missing my Homecoming celebration. I went to that tournament and lawnmowered through the competition.

Well, that was then.....

After convincing Taraje to come to Homecoming, my wife and I got his train ticket to come in town so that he could attend. We felt that this experience is one that every young African American should have at one time in their life and that it was our duty to make sure that Taraje could attend and be comfortable.

Taraje was really worried because he didn't have any money and he didn't understand how things work. I told Taraje that he would have the time of his life and not have to spend one dime. It took some convincing but he finally believed me.

We started off the week on Wednesday by doing a clinic in Fredricksburg, Virginia at Sensei Chuck Wall's school. Then we went to the Marine Base in Quantico, Virginia all day Thursday which was a great experience where we were able to share some of our experiences and also able to get a better understanding of the life of a soldier in the Marines.

Thursday night we partied like rock stars. It was a good time with good friends and good people. We laughed all night long and ended up at the International House of Pancakes and dove into some egg white omelettes around 6am. Taraje and I got back to my parents house around 8:00am and we had to be up at 10:00 to get to "the yard" at Howard for Yardfest before 11:30.

The schedule was ridiculous. We had to sleep for less than 3 hours during the whole time.

On Friday, my wife came in town and she and I hit the alumni party and we two-stepped the night away. I sent Taraje with some of my younger and more energetic fraternity brothers so that he could have the twenty-something experience, which I am NO LONGER INTERESTED IN. Taraje had the time of his life.

I heard him say on SEVERAL occasions that he had never seen this many beautiful and successful African American females all in one place. He said that the experience was eye-opening and jaw dropping. If nothing else he mentioned that this should make all young black men really strive for excellence in life and academically. He said, seeing all of these affluent black folks really lets me know that there is hope. I guess sometimes its easier to "be it" if you can "see it."

With that being said, I also wanted to let Taraje know what was and is available out there. Many people settle for a mate or a companion because they don't think that what they are looking for is available. But the problem is that they are searching for bass in a pond stocked with catfish. If you want bass, then you need to take your @ss where there are BASS!! :-) Ya dig?

So, Friday night was good for the wife and I and it was great for Taraje (from what I heard). After a long night I had to leave the house and scoop Taraje from DC, he was having breakfast with one of my frat brothers and then we arrived at Howard University bright and early at 8am to prepare for the Homecoming Parade (as you can see, we got absolutely NO SLEEP, but it was all good.)

On Saturday, Taraje and I had the opportunity to serve as Marshals in the Homecoming Parade. This was my 4th Homecoming Parade as a Marshal and I love it each and every time. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it again but I absolutely love seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and being an ambassador for my school, Howard University.

Sidebar: I have to give a biggup to Keith Miles in the Office of the Provost at Howard University for making each Howard University Parade better and better each and every year.

Okay, now back to the story.... Saturday was cool I got the chance to reconnect with 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist David Oliver who is also a Howard Alum and was in school at Howard when I made the Olympic Team in 2004 and I met Lance Gross who was also running track at Howard with David when I made the team. I remember Lance being in all of the fashion shows at Howard. Now he is on the hit television show Tyler Perry's "House of Payne".

We also had the conversation of a lifetime with Terrence Howard on the topic of persevering and why quitting is not an option as an African American male based upon the fact that there are millions of people behind you who you may or may not be able to see who are COUNTING on you to be excellent in your endeavors so that they may have an opportunity. It was thought provoking, engaging and genuine. He didn't rush, he just took his time and talked to Taraje and I about life. It was awe-inspiring.

What else happened?

- Well of course P. Diddy was there again.

- I did an interview with ESPN and Howard University Television

- Taraje's who worldview was change in 72 hours

- Lord willing, I will be back next year.

Howard University Homecoming 2008. If you don't know, now you know. (please understand that this is the G rated version)

Also check out http://www.Taraje.com

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion

Training, Training and More Training

2008-09-12T23:49:00.003-04:00

I'm pretty pooped today. I was training UFC Fighter Brandon Vera all morning and have been prepping him for his fight against Keith Jardine. It has been, as usual, very fun; very taxing; super frustrating, really enlightening, surprisingly educational and downright entertaining.

Brandon Vera is such a cool dude and so is his wife. I used to live with Brandon at the Olympic Training Center when I was there from 1998 to 2000. He was a really good greco roman wrestler. Brandon is now one of the top fighters in the world in Mixed Martials arts. It's crazy to watch how he's developed over the years.

As far as the title of the post is concerned........ Wow! I must say that I never thought that I would say that I need a break, but that is exactly what I need. After coaching and/or having coached or worked in the capacity of a consultant for 9 athletes that compete in 3 different Olympic Trials, I must say that I am pooped.

I need a lil' break.

Write now I'm working on Chapert 5 of my dissertation and am looking forward to handing my paper in to my advisor in about 2 more weeks. I'm excited about being done.

That's all I have for right now, I'm going to sleep!!!!!

Take care.

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-time National Judo Champion
http://www.Rhadi.com

How To Stick to the plan

2008-03-31T14:16:00.001-04:00

==============
Introduction
==============

For those of you that have been "in the loop" you know that I've committed to doing at least a 1/2 marathon a month.

Well, this weekend I was supposed to be in Atlanta at the Atlanta ING 1/2 Marathon with my long distance coach Winston Williams, but I had a death in the family and I had to attend my

Uncle's funeral.

Well needless to say, we don't schedule death on the calendar, so needless to say, my boat was definitely rocked, but sometimes when your boat is rocked, you just have to relax and ride the waves - and that's what we did.

Instead of attending 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta, my mother, my father, my wife, my aunt and myself did our due diligence and met up in the morning in Boca Raton and completed the following mileage respectively:

My Mother:
My mother trained for her first marathon and completed 13.1 miles. I was super proud of her. She walked for most of it and ran some of it. I was super proud of her. She dropped two dress sizes. I would like to tell you how much weight she's lost, but my mom won't tell me her weight :-)

My mom, was in a lot better shape than I though she was. She didn't have one moment of discomfort for the whole 13.1 miles and then today she said, "I'm fully recovered, I feel great."

I don't think you all know how good it feels to watch your parents working out, getting in shape and staying in shape.

My Father (Rufus Ferguson):
Big Rufus, completed his 2nd 1/2 marathon. This time he not only walked but also ran a portion of it. My father LOOKS IMPRESSIVE. He now wears my clothes. My father has gone from 256 pounds to 233 pounds. My family members saw my father and they were shocked. My father ate the 1/2 marathon like it was nothing. He told me how much he appreciated me for helping him turn his life around in terms of his nutritional practices and discipline. He also got on the phone immediately after completing the half marathon to speak with Coach Winston.

My Aunt Faustina:

My aunt, completed her first 1/2 marathon. She was super excited and even smiled while looking at the blisters on her feet. My aunt started training with me in January. Then she was 234 pounds and now she is 203. She will be around 185-175 pounds by the end of the year and she's doing it the right way (I'll explain how she did this tomorrow).

My Wife - TRACI (The Trooper)!!!!

If I haven't told you how amazing my wife is, let me tell you - my wife is AMAZING. My wife and I woke up 4 hours before my parents and my aunt and we hit the road to do 13.1 miles before they started and we timed our run so that we would meet them at the starting point when they arrived. We started at 4:30 in the morning and did 13.1 miles. My wife did the 13.1 miles and said, "this is easy." I knew that she would say that because that's the same thing that I said when I was running my first marathon.

I knew my wife would be hurting by mile 18 but she didn't know how bad. We ran for 14 miles until we caught up with my family and then we walked with them. At mile 18 I told Traci that we would start running for just one mile so that she can experience that pain that comes at mile 18 when you stop and then try to start running again. At the 16 mile point, Traci told me that SHE WAS NOT GOING TO RUN ANOTHER STEP.

She began to do the thing that the Marathon does to all of us. She began to transform into "that" person. The person who doesn't want to talk, negotiate, or hear from anyone or anybody who is going to try to get more out of her than she is willing to give right now. So I began to coach her. I said in the most loving, soft, yet harsh way, "Stop being a Chump!"

At mile 18 the Chump Monsters will begin to creep into your mind and they will try to create a Chump Moment in your life and if you don't get a dose of CHUMP REPELLENT immediately you will not be able to create a Champ Moment, you will be reduced to the realm of Chumpness.

So I did what any good coach would do.... I pulled out the Chump Repellent.........

I reminded her that this is no monumental task for someone who has pushed out a baby, graduated from Georgetown University with Phi Beta Kappa honors, and for someone who has been identified as one of the top Internal Medicine physician in the country, and I told her that anyone who can put up with me can DEFINITELY handle 26.2 miles!

Needless to say, at mile 18 my wife was running! :-) And she was getting it. I had to tell my wife to stop by the time that we got to mile 19. My wife at up the last 7 miles like it was a piece of chocolate cake. She did the thing that all people who complete a marathon have to do.

They have to get to the point where they realize that you don't complete the second half of the marathon with your legs, you complete them with your mind.

I've told many of you before and I'll say it again - my wife is "The Bomb!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3uQeaduowg

(Note: just so that you know, the halfway point of the marathon is not 13.1 miles, its 18 miles).

Myself - Rhadi Ferguson

I had the monumental task of creating the 1st Annual, Unofficial, Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Family Fitness Event.

I've figured this, "I can't help everyone else and not help my family?" So I require my family to invest in themselves, just like everyone else and I make sure that they understand the importance of getting in shape. I don't do any freebies, hook-ups or etc.,. because if a double Whopper with cheese or french fries from McDonalds are important to you then what do you do? You buy them.

Well, if your fitness and getting in shape is important to you, what should you do? You should invest in it. So I tell some of my family members to save up that Whopper with Cheese money and put it in the right place and get yourself in shape.

So, here's what I did. I had to make sure that I did over 26 miles so that I could prepare myself for the 31 mile race that I have to complete in May. So I did 27.4 miles and I HATED every step past mile 20 :-)

I'm really not looking forward to doing 29 miles in the next couple of weeks but I know it has to be done. Goodness Gracious!!!!

On another note, I was super proud of my family who are also clients of mine and I was proud of the things that they accomplished. They have really made a huge impression on my other family members and I believe that we will change the fabric of the family, one thread at a time.

=========
Closing
=========

God is good! :-)

Even though we weren't able to go to Atlanta, we were able to do what we set out to do, we just had to make some adjustments. Coach Winston Williams still did the 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta, so in actuality, we all did the 1/2 marathon together, we just did it in different locations. Its so cool to start a workout or a race at the same time as someone else in a different city and then to communicate by cell phone and certain points in the race and during the finish. You feel like you've done it together, even though you haven't.

Recently I had to coach one of my clients, Taraje Williams-Murray, via cell phone and it worked out great. You can't always do this but there are times when being there remotely is better than not being there at all.

Take care and we'll *talk* soon,

Rhadi Ferguson

The Fergusons :-)

P.S. For my BJJ, Judo and Submission Wrestling fans, I want you to know that I'm having a No-Charge Teleseminar tonight at 9pm EST titled: Grappling Excellence.

You must attend this F.R.E.E. Teleclinic there will be some great information available for you. To get in on this tonight here are the instructions:
You can either call in or listen in on the website. It’s up to you.

Whatever you do….. Don’t miss it. It is going to be absolutely phenomenal.

EVENT: Grappling Excellence
DATE & TIME: Monday, March 31st at 9:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice) TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…

http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=2395416

Do Not Miss This

Here's something you just can't schedule

2008-03-24T13:45:00.000-04:00

=============
Introduction
=============

I was on a coaching call on Saturday morning when another call came through on my cell phone. It was the third time that this call had come through and I figured it was important, so I answered.

I said, "Cuz, be quick, I'm on a coaching call."

He said, "Bro. you need to get down here. Uncle Jimmy died this morning at 3am."

I said, "Stop lying."

He said, "No man, I'm serious."

Well, there I was on the call with 17 more minutes to go. After the call, I got dressed, told my wife to get Rufus ready and when I said that she said, "We're already ready."

Traci had Rufus, dressed and ready to go and they were sitting in the living room, waiting on me.

So we hopped in the car and drove down to Miami.... This is where my story begins.

====================
One 1/2 Marathon a Month
====================

At the begining of the year, I was so motivated after reading The Ultramarathon Man that I pledged to do a 1/2 marathon a month. Well, as the Lord would have it, my uncle's funeral is this weekend - the same exact weekend where I was supposed to be in Atlanta to do the Atlanta ING 1/2 Marathon.

My aunt who I've help go from 234 lbs. to now, 205lbs. was supposed to do her first 1/2 this weekend and my mother was too.

But now we all have hit a major roadblock.

I really didn't know what to do. My father was supposed to do his 2nd 1/2, my aunt and mother were supposed to do their first, and I was supposed to do my 1/2 for the month.

So we had to make an adjustment.

Here's what I proposed....

==================
We'll do the 1/2 anyway
We'll just do it in Boca
==================

Even though the race won't be official, we are still going to do that 1/2 marathon this weekend.
We're going to do it on Sunday and we're all going to do it together. That's right. We're going to all "stick to our guns" and still do the 1/2 marathon.

The lesson here is to understand that life happens and sometimes things are the way that you want them to be, but that doesn't mean that they aren't the way that they are supposed to be.

I really had to look at the most important thing about doing the 1/2 marathon.

Was is really about going to Atlanta? or Was is about helping my mother and aunt complete a great accomplishments in their lives while watching my father continue on his quest for better health?
(by the way, my father is 239 pounds and down from 258! - WAY TO GO POP!!)

The key, without a doubt was for the whole family to be together. With that being said, I had to come to the realization that the most important thing was for all of us to be together.

So, on Sunday... my mom, my aunt Faustina, my wife, my dad and myself will perform 13.1 miles and complete a non-official, but official 1/2 marathon and we will capture it on video and share it with you next week.

==================
What's new with Rhadi?
==================

- This morning I just had a meeting with Former World Boxing Champion Jermaine Taylor's personal chef. He will begin cooking my meals so that I can test out his services when some of my clients come down to Florida to train. I also will utilize him as I prepare for the 31 mile race (Ultramarathon) on the 18th of May. His name is Stu and he's a HUGE Mixed Martial Arts fan and really loved to sit down and talk MMA and how he can help some of my clients in the future.

I'm also in the process of developing a new piece of training equipment for Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu players that is going to be absolutely dynamite. I'm doing this in conjunction with some heavy hitters in grappling and judo marketplace.
Also Jimmy Pedro, 4-Time Olympian and 1999 World Judo Champion is getting ready to release his newly improved DVD package Grip Like A World Champion DVD next month in April. It is absolutely superb!

=========
Closing
=========

This weekend is going to be a happy one and a sad one. My aunt Alice and my Uncle Jimmy were together for 57 years. I can remember on several occasions sitting down with Uncle Jimmy and my cousins and laughing on Sundays after church. It felt weird this past weekend being at the house without him there. The funeral is going to be gut wrenching. But on the same token, I will be able to see my family and many loved ones that I haven't seen in a while and I'll be able to see my parents again as they spend time with their grandson. So with a smile on my face and a heavy heart I can admit that the experience is going to be, at its best - bittersweet.

The one thing that I know is this..... the food is plentiful and its good, but with that - so must the exercise.

So this morning I got my butt up and did 45 minutes of cardio, met with the chef, then I stretched and did 10 sets of 20 repetitions of reclined rope pulls.

The key is to make sure you get it in. There's nothing wrong with eating, but there is something wrong with not exercising.

Make sure you "get it in" --> http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian

Did you do something outstanding today?

2008-03-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

=============
Introduction
=============

I had an opportunity to listen to Obama's speech on race yesterday and I'd like to tell you this.

I'm not here to talk about race, about politics, about Obama, Hillary, Rev. Wright or anything else, what I do want to tell you is how it made me feel.

His speech made me feel like:

I have to do more as a parent to ensure that my son understands that every human being no matter of race, color or creed needs to be loved and respected. My wife and I do that now, but more often than not many of us live and conduct most of our daily experiences in a homogenous society and it is important to get more perspective about the global community.
I need to travel more with my family. I've had the opportunity to see a great deal of the world as a world class athlete, so my view of things isn't myopic, it is truly global. I need to travel with my wife and son so that we can all experience all that the world has to offer. I was reading the book 4-hour Work Week, by Tim Ferris and he mentioned the importance of such an education.
I need to volunteer more. I've been volunteering, especially in my church and doing fr-ee teleseminars, but I see that I need to do more. Its my job to lift as I climb. People's prejudices can only be changed via a new perspective and positive experience. I truly have to be the change that I would like to see in the world.
I must embody the quote of Mother Theresa when she said something along the lines that the important thing is that when people leave your presence that they leave being better than when they came.

I just thought I'd share those things. As I said before, this isn't a pro-this guy or pro-that gal type of email. This is a "we're all in this thing together" email.

And I just wanted to let you know that hatred is for Chumps, racism is for Chumps and the real winners in life aren't the ones wearing medals around their neck but the ones making a difference in the lives of others everyday.

============
Closing
============

This is why I do what I do and this is why I'm writing to you.

Today, make someone's day better than it was yesterday.

Take care.

Much love and respect,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

What A Weekend (Another 1/2 Marathon - that makes 3)

2008-02-18T20:39:00.002-05:00

=========
Introduction
=========

What a weekend!!

On Saturday night I attended the Showtime Elite XC event and watched my cousin (very distant cousin), Kimbo Slice beat the snot outta Tank Abbot.

It was a great event and the dude looked larger than life when he came out of the tunnel. All I could do is laugh and smile.

He looked very very sharp in his fight and he eliminated TankAbbott in seconds as I thought he would.

Kimbo and I finally had the chance to meet and talk afterthe fight. I made my way into the ring and we talkedand we rapped again at the post-fight media wrap up.

We communicated a couple of times over the phoneand on myspace, but we never met until this weekend. It was good seeing him. We live lessthan 10 miles from each other in south florida. I'm looking forward to training with him and rolling on themat in the near future. I truly believe this dude is goingto be a huge superstar in MMA. He has the onething that a lot of the fighters today are missing and theone thing that I talk about all the time -- DISCIPLINE.

He is one disciplined dude when it comes to training.

He reminds me of somebody else I know.... Hmmmmmm :-)

So after the fight I went to Denny's to eat around 2 am in themorning. I had to get some pancakes. I was sitting thereeating with one of my other cousins, Greg, and I wastelling him how tired I was. I practiced earlier that morningwith a Greco Roman wrestler who is getting ready for his National Championships and I had been ripping and running all day.
I went home, showered, did a couple of errands and then headed down to Miami for the fights. At 2:40am I was walking out of Denny's after throwing down a Grand Slam and I was tired as #@$%!!!

I jumped in my car and headed back to Boca Raton.I arrived home at 4:00am. Just in enough time to........

=====================
I Had To Be At The
At 6 am
=====================

I got home just in enough time to take a quick"wake-up" shower, brush my teeth, pack my pouch with GU gels, vaseline my feet down, and put on my running clothes to head out the door with my wife to run the Fort Lauderdale A1A 1/2 Marathon.

I got in the door at 4am and we left promptly at 4:45.We finally parked our car around 5:20am. I went to use the restroom (which is a feat and a half becauseof the long lines at the port-a-potties) and I headed to the starting line with 3 minutes to spare.

At 6am the gun went off and my legs felt like2 slabs of concrete. Not to mention the fact that Ihadn't slept a wink! :-(

=========
At Mile 4
=========

Because of poor planning and a time crunch, I didn't have timeto pack my CamelPak which is a great running tool and it allowsyou to drink as you run so you don't have to stop at the wateringstations, so I had to stop to hydrate while my wife kept running.

This means I had to constantly catch up to her which was cool.Until the "Grand Slam" that I had started "slamming" me in a Grand way. I had to stop and get rid of some of the Grand Slam.
This put me wayyyyyyy back and I had to run at a 7:30 minutepace to catch up to my wife again. That sucked!!

Especially since, I hadn't run not one step since my marathon inNovember.
That's right not one. I have been walking, but I haven't beenrunning. And I hurt my groin after judo practice last month so I've been walking, stretching and rehabbing.

But I figured, "What the hell, after a full marathon, a 1/2 isa piece of cake!"
And to be honest with you - it really is.

===================
I'm Not Going To Break
Any Records
====================
For some of you that don't know, my father completed hisfirst 1/2 marathon in January.
He walked the whole way and I walked with him.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gXK0FGLoSZY

Now my father is going to do his second 1/2 marathonin Atlanta, along with...... (drum roll please).....

MY MOTHER AND MY AUNT!!

That's right, the whole family is getting involved.

My aunt started training with me in January and she has lost 21 poun-ds and feels spectacular. She looks like a different person and she feels great.

I told her and my mother that we're not goingout to break any records in the 1/2 marathon,we're going out to complete an honorable task,to stay in shape and to kickstart our whole family on a campaign for healthy living.

==================
That's about it...
==================

I know today's post was all over the place, but I'm just so doggone excited about my life and thethings that are going on in it.

I'm blessed to have a wonderful family, greatfriends and people like you who are concernedabout living healthy, staying healthy and changingthe fabric of our society.

=================
Conclusion
=================

I’m so happy that so many of you have decided to take meup on my gratuitious offer and grab a hold of The TotalBody Workout for only $1.00 –> http://www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com
It is my desire that you have the tools that you will need to succeed and that you do succeed.

Take care and thanks again for your support.

Sincerely and Humbly,
Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
Fitness Professional
www.AskRhadi.com
www.Rhadi.com
www.TheTotalBodyWorkout.com
www.TheBodyWeightWorkout.com

My Dad Finished His First Half Marathon

2008-01-29T23:54:00.000-05:00

==============
Introduction
==============

I am pleased to announce that on Jan. 27, 2008 my father completed his first half marathon!

He walked the whole way and my wife and I walked with him. I was superimpressed. And not with his time either, but with his resolve.

For those of you who do not know, my father had a medical conditionlast year which brought him face to face with his own mortality. I saw this as an opportunity to step in and do what it is that I do. I actually had to coach my father through the 1/2 marathon trainingprocess. What was so crazy was that 2 years ago my father would havenever even thought about nor considered completed or even doing a 1/2 marathon.

Now my father has on his mind that he is going to complete at least 3 in 2008. He has also lost 15 pounds right away and has a newfound vigor for life. My wife also completed her 1/2 marathon on the 27th as well.

=================
The Moment Of Clarity
From My Coach
=================

For those of you who don't know, I completed my first 1/2 marathonand full marathon in November of 2007 and my marathon coach Winston Williams helped me along the way.

So I also ask him to coach my father in his journey. As usualhe provided some great advice but his best advice was for me when he asked me, "So what are your plans for the race?"
Although I'm coming off of a pulled groined, the athlete in me said, "I'm going to coolout and run 2 hours and30 minutes or something like that."

Coach Williams replied, "Rhadi, I think that you're missingout on a major opportunity here. Knowing what you know about your father's situation and where he came from to where he is now, my recommendation is that you walkwith your father every step of the way. You will be glad that you did. It will be a lasting moment that you will be able to cherish for a lifetime."
I told him that was an excellent piece of advice.

I can't tell you how good it felt to run across the finish line with my father, my wife, my cousin and I joining hands. It was wonderful. My father cried, my cousin cried and my wife and I had huge smiles across our faces.

===============
You Have A Job To Do
===============

Right now I'm coaching one of my family members to better health and she has also los-t some weight.

She has lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks and is now in the process of getting ready to start training to complete her first 1/2 marathon in 12 weeks.

I'm really looking forward to helping my family membersget healthy. If you are a fitness professionl - YOU MUST find a way to get your family members to lead healthy lives.

If you are the leader in your home, YOU MUST find a way to get the people in your home to live and lead healthier lives. If you are not in the shape that you want to be -YOU MUST find a way to get yourself in better shape.

You have a job to do. Your job is similar to the advice that they provide you on the airplane before "take-off". The stewartess says, "In thecase of a loss of oxygen, secure the mask overyourself first and then help your child."

Well, this is the same thing. You must getyourself in shape first and then help yourfamily. If you do this, your loved ones willbe around longer and they will be a lot stronger.

==============
Conclusion
==============

I was so proud of my father, my wife and my cousinthis weekend. My wife has already signed up to do another 1/2 marathon with me in February. It was and is my desire to do a 1/2 marathon a month in 2008 and through that investment, I am able to invest in the lives of others. I understand that I must securethe mask over myself first and then I'll be able to help others.

If you would like some help working outat home and getting in some great shapeyou can do so by going here

--> http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/ <--

If you are interested in completing a 1/2 marathon or want for one of your family members to do so, please go here

--> http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/walk.htm <--

But remember, strength training is still necessary. And you must get that in too.

--> http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/ <--

So take care and I wish you the best.

Take care, Rhadi Ferguson (aka "The Strength and Conditioning King")http://www.thestrengthandconditioningking.com/
http://www.askrhadi.com/
http://www.rhadi.com/

Here's How To Make 2008 Great!!

2007-12-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

=============
Introduction
=============

No More Empty Promises

December 31st is almost here. Champagne, parties, fireworks, the countdown to the New Year – and to top it all off, a special kiss at the stroke of midnight – no mistletoe needed! Across the country, there’s an undercurrent of hope and motivation – a chance for a fresh start.

And so, each and every year we make (and break) New Year’s Resolutions by the millions!

En masse, we jump out and make promises that we have EVERY intention of fulfilling. But usually, by the time March has rolled around, we’re right back where we started, with our empty promises mocking us with hollow glee.

The secret is finding a way to back those intentions up with discipline, while keeping things practical enough to actually become a habit.

If you’re sick and tired of making empty promises, here’s my prescription for success…

FOR THE PERPETUAL PROCRASTINATOR

If you’re one of those guys (or gals) that has let your good intention turn into a spare tire, there are five simple ways you can make ’08 a year of the hard, hot body you’ve been dreaming about.

Numero Uno #1 Quit making excuses!

Forget waiting to finance a home gym. Don’t even wait until you can hit the gym. Work now with what you already have. No dumbbells? No problem. Fill up water bottles or dig through the pantry for a few 16 oz. cans. Take the initiative and make this the first step toward toned and tightened arms!

Look, if you don't have any space, no equipment and a little bit of time, then I've got THE BEST workout for you. And best of all, it's FREE. Just get it right HERE.

Number Two #2 Make An Appointment

Make an appointment. Right now, pull out your calendar or Palm Pilot and schedule 30 minutes or 1 hour sessions throughout available slots in your schedule. Pen it in and then follow through!

If you are having problems with commitment, then I’ve got EXACTLY what it is that you need. You need a good dose of Chump Repellent, to keep you Inner Chump at bay so you can be the Champ that you want to be. You can get that right here

Number Three #3 Do It Now, The Earlier The Better!

The earlier the better… If you want to see this year’s resolution come true, work out in the morning. Not only are you better rested in the morning, but working out first thing will energize you throughout the day and jumpstart your metabolism. Better yet, the excuse “It was a killer day at the office,” or “I’ll be later for dinner” won’t be able to stand between you and your workout.

And if you’re having a problem about going to the gym, then don’t worry about it. I’ll meet you at your house in my FREE DVD Working Out With Rhadi: The Bodyweight Workout.

Number Four #4 Recruit Someone To Help You

Buddy up! Recruit a friend to be your workout partner. There IS strength in numbers. Not only will you hold each other accountable, but you’ll also encourage and motivate each other along the way. As an added plus, you’ll likely find that having someone there to BS with can really make the time fly!

Don’t have a workout partner in mind?

I’m available 24 hours and 7 days a week.

Just invite me over.

If you need to start things off a little bit slow because you haven’t been working out for a while and want to progress on your own time, then I’ve got exactly what you need in The Backyard Workout.

Number Five #5 Maximize Your Moments! Daily Duties=Opportunities

Daily duties = Opportunities. When faced with the choice of the elevator or the stairs, hit the stairs. Quit waiting around in frustration for the best parking space and park at the far end of the lot on PURPOSE! Keep your eye out for day to day opportunities to “go the extra mile.”

=============
SUFFERING FROM
STAGNATION?
=============

If you’re already working out regularly and eating right, but you’re still not getting the results you feel you should be, the culprit may be stagnation, a.k.a. “stuck in a rut.”

Here are four ways to kick your workout into hyper-drive…

1. Shake things up! If you’re bored with your workout, or things just seem to have lost their spark, change your routine. Add in a new exercise; play around with your sets, reps and the rest you take in between. Alter your bench incline to see what happens. Enroll in one of those trendy classes most gyms now offer. The key to success is keeping things fun.

What I did for the heck of it is train for and complete a marathon.

Quite honestly, I was getting tired of the bands, the medicine balls, the weights, the same old workouts, so I change it up a bit. I finished something that I always wanted to do, I found something else that I’m passionate about and I ACTUALLY look forward to working out and lifting some weight again. (I took a year break from lifting weights.)

2. Are you slacking in the stretching and warm-up departments? Quit skimping! All you’ll need are an extra three to five minutes. Not only can this prevent soreness and injury, but it can also boost the effectiveness of your core workout as well.

3. Sometimes, distraction is a good thing. To pass the time, take your iPod along to your workout. Upload your favorite playlist and get in the “zone”, or train your brain while you’re at it, with books on tape or CDs that teach you another language. Maximize your time!

This would be a great time to listen to Chump Repellent. If you’re a grappler or Judoka, this is an excellent opportunity to listen to the advice provided in The Gold Mettle Plan.

4. Pump yourself up! Don’t wait around for someone else to do it for you. Take matters into your own hands! Remind yourself how great you feel after a workout. Pose for pictures that track your progress and post them all over! When someone tells you how great you’re looking, don’t be humble – pat yourself on the back! You’ve worked hard – take pride in your accomplishment.

========
Closing
========

There’s no elevator to the top in this game.

Each step takes blood, sweat and sometimes, tears.

Don’t let anybody lie to you – it won’t be easy!

But it WILL be worth it.

And I’ll be there with you….. Every Step Of The Way.

May God Bless you and keep you as you enter into the New Year.

Take care,
Rhadi Ferguson

=============
VERY IMPORTANT
INFO BELOW
=============

P.S. On January 9th, I'm having a FREE No-Charge Teleseminar on the Topic: "How To Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever" I'll keep you informed, it will be something that you will not want to miss!! Quite honestly, I'm expecting you to be there. Especially, if you want to make 2008 your best year ever.

P.P.S. Remember January 9th at 9pm EST. I'll give you all the details later.

My Wife Is The Greatest

2007-12-07T23:26:00.000-05:00

================
I Know I'm Biased
But I Truly Believe.....
================

I know I'm biased but I truly believe that I have the greatest wife and friend in the world in my, road dog, my partner, my ace, my sweetheart, my wife... Traci.

I was just looking through our home camera and I didn't even notice all of the pictures that she took during the marathon that I ran in November. She took some great shots and as I sit on the airplane heading out of town, all I can think about are my wife and my son.

I've had the opportunity to talk to many of my friends and family members and I can tell you right now that I KNOW how blessed I am to have a wife who allows me to be me, who doesn't stress me and who knows how to provoke me to be a better father and husband and inspires me to do more and be more. I can't tell you how much fun that I had yesterday with my wife. And you'll never guess what we did.

We were in the garage and the driveway cleaning out the cars in order to prepare them to get detailed at the carwash. It was fun, not because there's anything so super exciting about a car wash or cleaning out the car, but it was just fun to be together during the day. There aren't many people who get to spend a day or two at home during the week witih their spouse in the florida sun and also hang out with their children.

It was a blessing.

I can't even begin to tell you how sweet it is to go to the park with Traci and Rufus and to see the look on my wife's face when I'm playing with my son and making him laugh. It's look of approval, not that I need it but its a look that I will keep at the forefront of my mind at all times. Before children, you're always looking forward to that "come hither" look, but as parents, you just feel so good to get a look of approval and not disdain from your spouse.

I told Traci the other day that I was just so impressed with her "stepping it up in the mommy" category. After my parents came to visit one time, they told us how we needed to "step it up" in the parenting cctegory. Now, mind you, we were already doing "the do", but my parents are of the "to whom much is given, much is required" belief system and they speak on Rufus' behalf because he can't speak for himself and they just told us that we need to do "more".

And the advice was welcomed, hard at first but welcomed and I can tell you this - the advice has turned my home into a place of ultimate love and comfort.

If there is any advice that I can give anyone reading this blog, it's this. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND YOUR CHILDREN to make them happy. My dad used to always tell me, "its not about you" and I'd fight that dude "tooth and nail" and tell him, "it is about me." Well, I was right and so was he. It's not about me, but if I want it to be about me, I have to first make sure "its about my wife and son first."

Yesterday, after we finished cleaning the cars and we were home with Rufus, my wife said, "Your dad would be so proud of you now honey." I smiled, but on the inside I felt like I wanted to cry (for no apparent reason at all), but instead I smile and laughed and said, "Why, because I got the cars cleaned?"(just so that you all know, my dad is a stickler for making sure the car is clean and the tires are shiny at all times). My wife laughed too, I know that's not really what she meant, but I didn't want to make the mood too heavy. :-)

I know I'm all over the place right now, but I just want to tell those of you who are reading this, that although life is a big "if-then" statement, relationships don't necessarily work like that. I was counseling a couple a little while ago and the wife has really packed on some pounds and her reasoning for not wanting to lose the weight was because she was waiting for her husband to work on some areas first.

Well, in relationships, sometimes you have to just give, and give and give, without the hopes of getting something in return. I think that's really when you understand the "joy" in giving and really the depth of your love for your partner. Because if your parnter was (God forbid) in a situation where they couldn't do from themselvees, you would still have to do things for them with no recompense at all.

You would just have to have the knowledge and comfort in knowing that you did the right thing. This is no different. (This is my personal blog, so I'm gonna speak freely here).

Biblically speaking, "the Lord loves a cheerful giver" and I truly believe that if you continue to give and "love" your partner into the dirt, they will respond as you wish, but you cannot do so with the expectation of anything nor with a time frame on your giving. I know, it's tough, but that's just the way some things are, ESPECIALLY marriage. That's why the preface it with saying that this isn't something that should be entered into lightly.

The greatest gift that my parents have given me is in staying together through all the ups and downs in their marriage. It has actually provided me with an opprotunity to go to "marriage school". And their advice is well received because I know it is backed with experience and wisdom. And if there's anything that I can share with you about my family on my family's blog, it's this - POUR.

POUR into the lives of others until you don't have anything left and then watch how you are able to get refilled so that you can pour some more and then watch how your personal vessel increases in volume so that you can not only pour some more but so that you have a reserve for yourself.

You will find out that the more you pour, the more you'll have.

Believe me.

It's not about you.

As I began to give, I find out that I received more.

Not only on a family level but also on a business level.

Start giving and sit back and watch God work miracles in your life. I'm not preaching to you I'm just telling you about my family and my life.

===============
Check This Out
===============

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure last year this time and have completed a half marathon and a marathon this year. My blood pressure is down and the ejection fraction of my heart has increased and is in the normal range.

I got out of a bad business releationship last year and this year I'm blessed to have my life turn-$$$-aroud in 12 months. :-)

My wife is one of the most sought after physicians in the country and has been able to sit back and select the best job offer that was offered to her.

I truly belive that "The Secret" is a good book and DVD, but it doesn't trump sagacity and wisdom provided in the Bible.

I'm not saying that to convert anyone, I'll be the first one to tell you that I have a Torah, Book of Mormon, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, and Holy Quran in my home.

And I'm an avid reader of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates as well as the great African philosophers and those who've contributed from the Nile Valley Civilizations and Kemet. I believe in the acquiring of knowledge and then applying it, but the Bible is the best book I've ever read (that's my personal opinion).

I know I got a lil' off topic......

So, back to my point. My wife, is the greatest and I'm so appreciative of all that she does and allows me to do.

She's truly a God-send.

===================
My Main Man Rufus
===================

Complete and utter comedy on a daily basis is the best way to describe my son. Just wait for my next post when I show you what he did just recently.

=========
Traveling
=========

Yep, I have a United States Olympic Committee Meeting in December.

In January I'm on some panel at an NCAA meeting to speak about entrepreneurship after a sporting career, and then I'm also vback in San Fran to present on a bill with UFC Fighter Dan Henderson, then I have another meeting in Vega. So, I'll be quite busy and I'll have to make a trip or two to New York to see my client in preparation for the Olympic Trials.

============
Closing
============

That's about it. Everything is super cool on this end.

I hope that some of that information was helpful.

Please feel free to stop by http://www.rhadi.com/ and pick up my FREE DVD Working Out With Rhadi or just go to ( http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/ )

================

Ooops, I almost forgot
================

Here are the pics from the Marathon on the 25th.

Take care.

Mission Complete

2007-11-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Another milestone in life completed.

On the 25th of November, I completed my 1st Marathon.

The time wasn't spectacular, but the feat was phenomenal.

After my 5th anniversary with my lovely wife, I returned home and jumped on the scale and I weighed in at a whopping 241!!

Needless to say, that was my "you've gone too damn far number".

I think that we all have a "you've gone too damn far number" and some of us do something about and some of us ignore it.

Well, I certainly couldn't ignore it. I mean, how could I? Last year my doctor diagnosed me with high blood pressure. So I certainly had to make some changes in my life.

Since entering into the general population pool and jumping out of the special population (elite athlete) pool, I've had to make some adjustments, which are really hard. One being, I CANNOT eat like I used to when I was competing. Its not that I was eating like a pig, its just that I was working out like a madman. And when you workout like that, you can pretty much eat what you want. Now I have to be very careful what I consume and at what time I consume it.

So with all this in mind I was talking to one of my mentors and a good friend of the family, Winston M.A. Williams and he suggested that I start training for a triathlon. Well, that's the last thing that I wanted; another sport which was going to run up some more debt (I had enough of that with Judo and a thousand dollar bike, a two hundred dollar wetsuit, shoes, biking shoes, etc.,. just was more of a deterrent than it was appealing).

So, Winston recommended that I start training for a marathon. He's been able to put the smackdown on his blood pressure by doing marathons, half marathons
and triathlons. So, I told him, I'm in.

=================
Winston Williams
=================

Winston Williams is probably one of the most intelligent men that I know. He took me under his wing when I was in college as an engineering student. He graduated out of Civil Engineering and was a graduate student during the time when I was in school. He has helped me in so many ways during my formative years and now as an adult. Even to this day, he provides me with advice that is solid, well-packaged, and sometimes bitter-tasting (when I need it).

He's a SOLID individual a good friend and someone whom I love and respect.

With that being said, I immediately elevated him to Coach Williams when it came to my training.

As a strength and conditioning coach, I was floored with the information that he knew when it came to conditioning on the aerobic side, I usually deal so much with anaerobic conditioning that I didn't really pay much attention to the aerobic side and what it had to offer. Needless to say, my tune has changed more than a little bit. Also the "twos and fews" that you just don't know about in each sport are very important and that is what Winston had to clue me in
on. There's only one time where he really pissed me off!!!

Here's what happened. He forgot to tell me that I need to use some called Bodyglide when I got into my long running phase, so the first time that I did 10.5 miles, I came home, hopped into the shower and got under the water and the water hit my scrotum and I %#$$%^^&&E (expletive) HOLLERED!!!!!!!!!!

I sack looked like a red Christmas tree bulb. I had rubbed the skin right off!!!

I was $#$%^$%##$ hurting for at least a week. I called Winson immediately, to tell him about my nuts. I said, "Bro!! What the f____? Why didn't you tell me
about the chaffing?"

His reply was, "My bad dog. I didn't even think about that."

Now we laugh about it, then it wasn't funny. But I can tell you this, I put BODYGLIDE all over my sack before this run and when I took a shower, I had scrapes and cuts in other places (because you skin rubs off when you're running that long), but praise the Lord, my nutsack was just fine!!!

During my training I went down to Atlanta to meet with Coach Williams and we discussed running, training, pacing, etc.,. and also watched the UFC together. He's the one that turned me on to the best training tool that I own yet, The Garmin 305. I was able to email him my times after each run and discuss how I need to proceed in terms of my increases within my mileage (that's the secret stuff) ;-)

===================
The Hiccup In The
Training Program
===================

After several weeks of training, I began to feel a pain in my leg that subsided a couple of days after running at first and then it began to hurt at the beginning of the run and then subside during the run and I just chalked it up as the cost of doing business and kinda getting into a groove and getting warmed up. I figured that's why it went away when I started running. My knee which I had my LCL replacement surgery was acting up to so I had to make some
adjustments and run 2 times a week and do a long workout on the stairmaster 1 time a week.

I found out that I aggravated some of the muscles in the adductor group (groin and company). I realized that it was getting progressively worse to the point where I had to perform stairmaster workouts 2 times a week and only run once.

Winston recommended that I run a half-marathon, which was a GREAT idea, so that I could go through all of the pre-race preperation from checking in, packing my bags, getting ready, going through my pre-race nutritional strategies and race nutritional strategies. It was great practice. I really found out how I need to run the race and how not to get a caught up in the hype and as Coach Williams said, "How To Check My Ego At The Door when I leave the house".

The practice run went phenomenal. In my first half-marathon, I ran a 2:09. Two hours and 9 minutes. That's not to bad for a big guy, not bad at all. I ran the whole thing at a sub 10 minute per mile pace, BUT ---- I really hurt myself in the process.

I didn't listen!!

Coach Williams said for this to be a practice run, the competitive side of me wanted to do the whole thing at sub-10 pace. I accomplished it, but at the price of a huge injury. My adductor muscle group was shot!

I couldn't walk for a couple of days, nor could I run.

I didn't do anything except for lift and shoot a new exercise video, which hurt like hell to shoot, but you'd never know it. It's called The Total Body Workout which will be here in 2008, it going to be PHENOMENAL!! I shot it all in one day, its over 3 hours of material (the video shoot took ALL DAY!!)

I was able to do the stairmaster 2 times, the week before the Marathon on the 25th and I walked 5 miles 3 days out.

=================
Not Optimal, But
Doable
=================

I was told by several people don't do this marathon and just do the one in Miami next year.

Coach Williams told me to heal up and train for the next one.

I said, "Nope."

And I'll tell you why. My injury, from what I read and researched, would have been chronic. And that's something that I'm not willing to deal with. Pain at one time in my life used to be welcomed with open arms. Now, I run from it like its the plagued. So I just had to buck up and run the 26.2 with my longest run being 13.1 three weeks prior.

I know it sounds crazy, but I want all those reading this to know that completing a marathon has more to do with your mental disposition than your physical one. Don't get me wrong, you DO have to train, but you BETTER train your mind and take it to a place that its never been. Some people need the long mileage for that. Fortunately as an Olympian and former elite athlete, I have a closet full of experiences in my mind which I can reflect on to provide me with such
remebrances of discomfort and agony.

So, the 25th of November is here and the week before I was in Tallahassee trying to get some research done for my dissertation, I hadn't slept a whole lot, I had a late coaching call the night before along with one of my clients and a physician and I had to get up at 3:30am because my hotel was about 40 minutes from the starting line and check-in, so here we go........

=============
At The Race Site
=============

The race site is full of people, full of people doing a half-marathon. There are some full marathoners but more half marathoners. The full marathon number bib is like a badge of honor. People provide you with so much respect when they see you. They say, "Good luck", "go get 'em", and other dumb nonsensical
phrases like that.

At the start of the race, I was nervous like a hooker in church, but I remember what Coach Winston told me, "GO SLOW!" I had a conversation with another dude who had run plenty of marathons himself and he had some advice for me. He said, "Go Slow, the people in front of you will die, and you'll catch them in the end". I took that advice to heart. As soon a Coach Williams told me to go slow a couple of days ago, I changed around my music selection in my Ipod to
all slow jams, gospel and R&B. I started out super slow. And sure enough I caught a boat load of people in the end. But here's my race in review:

Before I do that I want to say thank you to my wife, Traci, who drove from work to meet me at the finish line. I was so happy when I saw her that I damn near cried, but my body was too hurt to expend the energy in that direction.

Thanks to my cousin Mark Beckford, who drove me down to Cocoa Beach and who's driving me back. My legs aren't really working to well now, so I'm so thankful.

Thanks to my cousins Victor and Florence who watched our son Rufus while I was competing.

Much thanks to Coach Winston Williams for helping get through the line. I called him at mile 18 and he said, "See It Through!!"

Thanks to my parents and those who sent supportive emails... Here's the recap...

Mile 1
No problem, people are laughing, chilling, talking and I'm in the zone. I'm resolve and committed to stay out here until I finish. I realize that I'm going to be pounding this pavement for upwards of 5 to 6 hours and its going to get tight. I feel great. I'm doing a 3:1 pace. Which is 3 minute run, 1 minute walk.

Mile 2
No problem, feeling fine, feeling good

Mile 3
I said to myself, this is going to be no problem, I told them this was easy. All I gotta do is stay with this pace and I'm going to be straight.

Mile 4
I'm straight chilling and loving life. I was looking at all the homes on the beach and watching the people zoom by. The half marathoners were having a good
time.

Mile 5
People are starting to peel off to the side of the road and stretch. Some have some aches and pains. They are looked at as casualties of the war with the pavement. The exodus moves on.

Mile 6
The fast runners have already hit the turnaround point and you can see them coming back. You start wishing that you were where they are. At this point of the race the bottom of my feet start hurting. I think its because my pace is so slow that my feet are just striking the ground more. It feels weird and I begin to mentally extrapolate and future how I'm going to feel, but I can't because this is about half of the longest distance that I ran.

Mile 7
I get to the turn around point and I'm still running at 13:00 minute per mile pace, but I step it up a little to change the view. The bodies in the back look a little bit different than those in the front :-) I've found a person who's running the same pace as I am and we run together for about 10 minutes

Mile 8
My water bottle is getting low, but not really low. I'm thinking that I need to start filling it up, but I don't do it at this water station, I wait until the next one. The front of my knees are hurting a little bit, but everything is cool. I'm really happy with the musical selection on my Ipod.

Mile 9
My water bottle is empty. Just in case you didn't know, I run with a CamelPak on. Coach Williams suggested it and its a great investment. I do seem to drink more than others and the rest stops just aren't enough. I'm getting a little uneasy because I can feel myself getting thirsty. You don't want to ever have that feeling when you're running a marathon. It was 72 degrees in the morning and about 85 during the height of the day and humid. It was hot.

Mile 10
Thank God!! Water! I fill up my water bottle with water and gatorade, eat a couple of energy bars, strap the CamelPak back on and keep gettin' it. I'm feeling great, but I'm slightly worried because I'm getting a little bit tired and I'm not even halfway yet.

Mile 11
The pace of the race speeds up because the half-marathoners are almost done. They are cheering and screaming and clapping. I remember how happy I was when I finished my half-marathon and I felt happy for them, but I had to slightly speed up and get away from them because they were messing up my "mental". I needed to be in a place where others could understand where I was in the race. I needed to be around the people who knew that their breathing and their footsteps were going to be their external heartbeats that were going to provide the rhythm for them to finish. I need to be around people who were cool, calm, collected and willing to walk into the fiery furnace of these last 15 miles.

Mile 12
I'm thinking to myself. I feel good. A lot better than when I finished my half-marathon a couple of weeks ago, Maybe this won't be to bad. Wow!

Mile 13
The half marathoners peel off to the left for the finish, the marathoners peel off to the right. I'm stoked, I'm excited. I high five one of the volunteers and switch Ipods to change my music selection. I'm jamming to Kanye West, Fifty Cent, P. Diddy, R. Kelly and host of others. I'm feeling great. But, I'm all by myself. THERE'S NOBODY around. NOBODY!! I looked behind me and saw nobody. I said to myself, "Hmmmmm, this must be what its like."

Mile 14
Uncharted Territory.
Everything after this point is new. When I hit mile 14 I began to get nervous but I was feeling okay. I knew I was going to finish (at this point). I saw one lady in front of my that I ran down. She had her husband following her on a bike which was so nice, loving, and cute. It was very supportive and was an excellent display of love and support. My CamelPak is getting low again and I'm thinking, "I don't have the energy to fill this up again." My pace after mile 13 has kicked up to 4:1. Four minutes running and 1 minute walking.

Mile 15
PEOPLE!!! Not only do I see people, but I see people running towards me who are headed for the finish line. These people are giving me hope. They are moving at a pretty fast clip. I look behind me and see the sign that say mile 23. I think, "Hmmmm, I'm almost done."

Something had fallen from the tree into the back of the heel of my shoe, so I decided to use my right foot and step on the heel of my left foot to get the thing out. When I went to slide my left heel up, I felt like somebody hit me with a tazer in my left hamstring. "ZAP!! Get down, get down on the floor right now!"

That's what I thought I heard, but nobody said anything, that was my hamstring talking to me. Now I'm wondering how in the heck am I going to get this little thing out of my shoe. I said, forget it and just kept running because there was now way to get it out without getting Tazered again.

Mile 16
I'm still looking for this dude that came out of the bushes and hit me in the legs with a baseball bat. I didn't see him, but I swear to you he's there. At mile 16 that mofo came out there and beat my @$$!! I was having a hard time standing up. And now I'm thinking to myself, "I'm in trouble and I got 10 more miles to go.

Mile 17
I'm seriously thinking my life over and going over, in my mind, who I did wrong and why? I'm asking for forgiveness and wondering why that man came out the bushes and hit me like that. I didn't do nothing to him. Then I'm thinking, "Why is this thing in my shoe?" And I'm getting so frustrated that I could cry. The pain is getting a little past intense and is ramping up significantly.

Mile 18
Shoot me. Just shoot me now. I called Winston and said, I can't stop running anymore. If I stop running, I won't be able to run anymore. I knew this because at one rest stop, I stopped for a second and my legs almost gave out. So I kept running.

Mile 19
Still running (and moaning). I'm asking myself, "Where in the hell is the turnaround. When am I going to turnaround and comeback.

Mile 20
Still running (and moaning and grimacing). I've hit the turnaround and then I started congratulating myself. I said, you've run 20, you can walk the next 6 and be cool. And I agree.

Mile 21
I quit. I just started walking. And I had in my mind that I was going to walk the rest of the way. I was hurting SEVERELY. And please do not underestimate the word SEVERELY here. I mean SEVERELY. I was done. I couldn't understand why people do something so dumb and then I saw this man who walked past me with a 50 States Marathon shirt on. It said that he did a marthon in 50 states. So I asked him if he had. He said, "Yep, as a matter of fact I've done 243 of them." That was EXACTLY what I didn't need to hear. And then this ole lady walked past me and she said, "You'll finish. The key is..... Run when you can and walk when you must!"

Mile 22
I'm back on my horse! I'm running when I can and walking when I must. I can actually feel every muscle in my legs hurting. My hips are hurting. My hamstring is trying to knot up and I gotta run and walk with a lil' gimp so I can keep it somewhat straight so it doesn't lock up on me. I'm running when I can, walking when I must and I'm passing the people that passed me, again.

Mile 23
Now I'm trying to cut deals with God. Who knows why I'm doing this, but I am. I'm saying, "Okay Lord, here's the deal. If you can just hit the fast forward button that we all know that you have up there and get me to mile 26, I'll be so appreciative. As a matter of fact. I won't EVER do this again. I promise."

Then the policeman sees how bad I'm laboring and asks "Are you alright?" I reply, "Man, I okay, but my legs are thrashed. This marathon right now feels like a bad pair of shoes that I need to get out of." He laughed, but was relieved that I was okay. I looked bad, but my breathing was okay. My shoulders, back and legs were thrashed!!

Mile 25
I start running 1:1. I'm running for a minute and walking for a minute and telling myself that its almost over. I'm passing more people and I see the 25 mile marker sign and I start to get excited. I can feel the blisters on my feet and every bone and muscle in my feet aching. My hamstring is cramping while running and walking but I refuse to cry out. I moaned when I was by myself, but I will not do it now, not in front of the people I'm passing, I just run. I've stopped running 1:1 and now I'm just running and walking a little and then running again. I keep it going.

Mile 26
I couldn't believe that I was almost done.
My body was hurting and I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do this again. I could see the finish line. I was running and dragging my leg across the line. I could feel my groin hurting. It was the same leg in which my hamstring was cramping. I was running like a lame dog with a bad hitch in my giddy- up, but I was running none-the-less. I made it through the finish line and ran right to my wife :-)

===================
After the Marathon
===================

PAIN

I took a shower and when the water hit me, I hollered. I didn't realized how much skin rubbed off my body

===================
NIGHT AFTER THE
MARATHON
===================

PAIN

===================
MORNING AFTER THE
MARATHON
===================

EXCRUCIATING PAIN

Am I glad that I did it? Yep?

Will I do it again?

Well, I'm signed up already for the ING Marathon in Miami. Who Knows? Right now I think no!

===========
Closing
===========

All jokes aside, the experience was great. I wouldn't trade it in for nothing. As a Strength and Conditioning professional I learned a great deal. I was able to dive and delve in an area which was, for all intents and purposes, uncharted territory. I also was able to understand why long distance training IS necessary. I really has less to do with what the training does for you and more to do with what you're during while you're training. The mental clarity and acuity
that's developed from being on the road or on a machine by yourself for 45 minutes to 90 minutes is golden.

I remember the day when I no longer wanted to train for judo. I was doing a long run and I just stopped. I stopped and started walking back to the house. I remember telling Jimmy Pedro about. Jimmy's a 4-Time Olympian, Two Time Olympic Medalist and a World champion and he said, "Yep, I've been there, I've been there too." I really appreciated the experience.

I feel like I've entered into a special club or fraternity. And I guess I have. I finished the race in 5 hours and 46 minutes.

Like I said before. Thanks for your support and please feel free to pick up my FREE Bodyweight DVD at http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com/

Florida Classic...Here We Come!

2007-11-14T17:15:00.000-05:00

The Florida Classic is the biggest and most well-attended football game between two HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). The Florida A&M University Rattlers and the Bethune Cookman College Wildcats along with thousands of fans will converge on Orlando Florida's Citrus Bowl this weekend to celebrate this monumental game.

I say monumental because Rufus will be attending his first college football game. The family did go to Howard University's Homecoming last month but after spending a late night out with Rhadi the night before, I surely couldn't muster up enough strength to make the game. But Rufus and I did get to watch the game on television and even got to see Rhadi and P. Diddy during their fouth quarter interview segment.

Earlier this month, Rhadi, Rufus and I spent Friday evening under the lights at our cousin's high school football game. Watching the young kids cheer on their team, the parents chaperone and volunteer behind the concession stands and the fans enjoy the cool evening in the stands made me remember our high school days.

Go back almost 15 years and fans would have been cheering for Rhadi and the rest of the Richard Montgomery Football team. Back in the day, Rhadi was our football team. He played on the offense and the defense and even kicking the ball a few times. Even though I really didn't understand the game back then, I knew when to cheer and when not to cheer.

And now we're going to share our football experiences with Rufus!

I can't wait to see his face when he sees tens of thousands of people cheering, laughing and having fun and of course, we can't forget the marching bands!

Rufus loves music and it won't be long before he's playing the piano, the steel guitar, the drums or whatever instrument he touches. He's musically inclined and he's going to have a ball bouncing and moving to the tunes from FAMU and BCC's bands.

I'm going to have to bring the camera and take lots of pictures because this is one game that we won't want to forget.....

Rhadi Ferguson, Howard Homecoming, the 1/2 Marathon,

2007-11-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

================

Introduction

================

It has certainly been a while since my last post and I sincerely apologize, but when I let you know what's been going on, you'll be very pleased.

My life has been full of highs and no lows. It's been super exciting, super busy and super cool. I'm not sure where to start so I'll just start where I left off last time.

=================

Howard Homecoming

=================

Most of you know that I graduated from Howard University in 1997 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and then again with a Masters of Arts in Teaching. Well, there's no secret of why I went to school and then returned to go again. I absolutely love my school, what it did for me, what I did for it and what it continues to do for others. For those that also don't know, Howard University is a HBCU. That means it is on of the Hitorically Black Colleges and Universities. It is a great place to go to college especially for people of color who really need an opportunity to develop their self. Often times we are bombarded with negative images of people of color and it is just refreshing to walk among african and african-american Ph. Ds, Professors, Entrepeneurs, Politicians, etc.,.

While at Howard I learned a great deal about myself, my culture, my country and the sacrifice that others have made for me and why I should honor their sacrifice by choosing the correct path for my life, for my behavior and for the legacy which I will leave on this earth and to my children. Not reading, jamming rap music in my head - without understanding the richness
of music and the platform from which the artist speak, wearing my pants hanging off my @ss, or not voting and the like are not options for me.

I have too much respect for Malcolm, Kwame Toure (Stokely Carmichael), Nelson Mandela, Martin, Booker T. Washington, The Tuskegee Airmen, Charles Drew, Ms. Parks, Fredrick Douglas, my parents, and modern day heroes who I went to school with and graduated with - governing myself accordingly is imperative.

Therefore, when Homecoming rolls around every year and you hear people like Ludacris and Biggie Smalls mention in their rap songs you can just imagine why it is such an extravaganza. To hang out with hundreds of thousands of individuals who look like you, who can fully understand you and who welcome you is comforting and welcoming. And, it's where I went to school and
I just really enjoy seeing some of my classmates again and the faculty and staff who where there and assisted in my growth process.

I think that everyone should attend Howard Homecoming. It is something that everyone needs to exeperience and everyone needs to see. Howard is smack-dab in the middle of Washington, DC and there is so much to do, but I doubt that you will do anything save for what's on the Homecoming Agenda which is the yardfest on Friday, a party friday night, the game on Saturday, the yardfest on saturday, a party saturday night, church (or however you recover) on sunday and then back home.

Howard University is a place that welcomes everyone. I don't want anyone to read my post and think that its just for blacks, just like Stanford and UCLA are not just for whites, Howard is not just for blacks. It just so happens that there are some schools that have a huge Caucasian population and some that do not. Howard University is one that does not, but there are
student of other nationalities there.

I remember one student who went to Howard when I was there who was white who told me, "The first day that I walked on campus, I finally knew exactly how you all 'feel' when you walk into a room." I told him, "and you'll also know that it gets easier the more you do it, but the 'feeling' never goes away." He replied, "True dat." Then we both laughed.

Enought about Howard University. You can look up information about Howard University and her rich heritage at http://www.howard.edu/

================

The Homecoming

Experience

================

Since attending Howard I really didn't think that anything would top the Howard Homecoming of 1995 when Biggie Smalls was on the yard during yardfest. It was such a surreal experience. I remember having the opportunity to dap him up because one of his bodyguards was my fraternity brother. He was larger than life, an icon, a celebrity of huge proportion. After that
homecoming in 1995, I had to agree that no Homecoming would ever top that one.

Then there were others that were good, but not quite like that one.

***2004***

There was the Homecoming of 2004 after I made the Olympic Team where I got to hang out with New Edition and LL Cool J and LL's trainer David Honig, with whom I still converse with to this day.

***2005***
Then there was 2005 which was off the chain where the oh so smooth Mya, Method Man, Larenz Tate and various actors were present.

***2006***

Then we had Ice Cube, Lil Mo, and a host of friends which made the 2006 Homecoming sweet like popsicle juice and then......
(drum roll please)

***2007***
In my opinion 2007 was the BEST Howard University Homecoming ever (at least for me, if you're lame, then no Homecoming is going to be good for you).

I'm always in the mix, with the right people, the right crowd and there at the right time. I'm not sure how this works, maybe it good karma, I call it a blessing.

Here's How my Homecoming began....

I arrived on Thursday and hung out with my parents who stay in Maryland. This homecoming was special because it was actually Rufus' first time to attend Homecoming. He went last year, but it was too cold for him to be outside so he couldn't be on the yard. On Friday we arrived for the Yardfest. It was cool to see all the former players, pimps, and husltas again and to see
how they are now SUPER professionals. It seems like everyone has an MBA, an MD, or an Ph. D., except me. I'm slippin' but will catch 'em next year :-)

Friday was cool. Traci, Rufus and I hung out on the yard. Rufus met "the fam" (slang for all our close friends) and he played on a little basketball game on the yard incessantly. Everytime we tried to take him away from it, he'd cry.

It was certainly a good time. After the yardfest, I went with Ken "Big Sexy" Stewart and some visiting bruhs to a Sushi spot out in Pentagon City, then later on I hung out with the Ques in front of the Howard Towers as we hung out and ate barbeque.

My mom picked up Rufus from the yard at around 2:30. Friday night, we DID IT BIG at Club Love in DC. It was on and poppin'. The music was hype, the atmosphere was "grown and
sexy" and towards the end of the night P. Diddy came onto the floor in the DJ Booth and got the party crunk. It was so "delishus"! The night was good and it ended around 4:30am. Traci and I didn't get back to home base until around 5:40. Let me rephrase that, the party didn't end at 4:30... We left at 4:30, the party ended with the rising of the sun at around 6:30.

================

Saturday Morning

================

I returned back to campus at 8am in the morning after about 1 hour of sleep because I was, again, one of the Marshals in the Homecoming Parade. My friend and frat brother, Tyrone Lewis came with me. We were more than tired from the activities the night before. But we had to get up early to reap the benefits of the early risers during homecoming.

The benefits are hanging out with high powered celebs and making good quality contacts during homecoming. This is what you're supposed to do during homecoming - network and thats what we did this morning.

We had an opportunity to meet several folks like Carl Lewis, Tyson Beckford, Chaka Khan, Melyssa Ford, Omarion, Bow Wow, P. Diddy, AJ, Maurice Greene and several other folks. It was phenomenal. After the game, we hung out on the yard some more, then caught a nice dinner and then partied the night away. After that, around 5:30 am, we ended up at the International House of Pancakes to eat. It was a blistering day off of only 1hour of sleep.

=======

Sunday

=======

Because I'm still in-training for my marathon, I got up on Sunday morning around 11am (very little rest) and ran 5 miles at a 4-1 pace (4 minute run: 1 minute walk). It went cool. After my run, I had to head back to DC to sit down and have a cool dinner with Shawn Springs and some friends. I've known Shawn since high school and his dad was my running back coach at Howard University. Shawn went to Ohio State and now he plays ball for the Washington Redskins. After that I came back home, rested, played with Rufus, talked with Traci and pre-packed so that we could catch our flight back home. That was homecoming in a nutshell.

==============

Half Marathon
Complete

==============

Now on to the 1/2 marathon I ran...........

On the 4th of November I ran a 1/2 Marathon in Boca Raton. It was cool and it was sponsored by the Police Athletic League. I ended up running sub 10 minute pace and ran a time of 2:09. 2 hours and 9 minutes. That's not too bad for a first-timer and for a dude that weighs 225 pounds :-) I severely hurt my adductor muscle group in my left leg and I've been rehabbing. So I hope I'll be ready for the full marathon that I'm running on the 25th of November :-)

===============

Now On To Miami Ink

===============

If you've never heard of the show Miami Ink, well it's a reality based show that is surrounded around the lives of the artists in the tatoo shop of Miami Ink on South Beach. It is pretty funny and comes on Television. I just did a taping for that show this week and it will air some time next year. I can't say too much about it or show you the tattoo because of the paperwork that I signed, but its sweet.

============

Closing

============

I just want you to know that my IRB from my school (the final one) has been approved and I will continue with my data collection at the end of this year and the beginning of next year. I'm really looking forward to it so that I can be done with this Ph. D. next year.

Rufus is getting older, Traci is getting finer and I'm just trying to get it.

I did 12 Miles Yesterday and it hurt!

2007-10-15T16:42:00.000-04:00

=============
Introduction
=============

Training for my first marathon thus far has been absolutely fun....... until this weeekend. I completed 12 miles and I had to ask myself the tough question as I rounded the corner to my home, feeling every step and running while my calf muscle was cramping for the last 3 miles - I had to ask myself, and I already knew the answer..... "Could I turn around RIGHT NOW and do this all over again?"

And sadly enough, the answer to that question was "Hell No!!" :-)

================
You Gotta Earn It
================

Someone gave me a great piece of advice last week. A good friend of mine who runs triathlons told me that "running is a commodity that is earned." I see know that you have to earn the right to run without worry about a certain distance. For example, I don't even blink at the thought of running 3 miles or 5 for that matter. I know that I can walk/run a cool 10 miles too, but the thought of 26.2 right now is enormous.

As I train I know that will become less and less of a problem because there was a time when I first started that I couldn't even fathom running 5 miles straight, but this week I ran five miles at a 9:32/mile pace.

I finished the 12 miles in 10:53/mile pace.

================
What's Next
================

Next up, I'm doing a half marathon on the 4th of November. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I really need to run under some race conditions and really focus on maintaining MY PACE and not getting caught up in the race hype that can actually cripple you deep into the race.

Right now the immediate "next thing" for me is ICE!!!

================
Closing
================

I'm trying to get Traci and Rufus to do the 5K with me when I run the half marathon. I truly believe that fitness is a family affair.

Take care and if you're looking to get in great shape just check out The Bodyweight Workout

Marathon Training Is Fun

2007-10-13T01:13:00.000-04:00

==============
Introdcution
==============

I've been wanting anew challenge for some time. Something that won't hurt my body too bad :-) but what will get me in great shape. So I decided to train for a marathon. And I must admit, it has been very challenging. Tonight I just finished my 5 mile run and I completed the whole run in about 46 minutes. I finished with an average pace of 9:13 per mile, which isn't bad for a 220 pounder :-)

==============
1st test, Half Marathon
==============

This weekend I will run 12 miles well, run/walk, but it will be 12 none the less. And then after that I'll do a half marathon on the 4th of November.

This will be a good test so I can work on keeping my pace during the race and really concentrate on not getting caught up in the race day hype. I will also be able to figure out which foods work best for me during my run.

===============
More time with Rufus
===============

Running allows me to spend more time with Rufus, because I can train in the morning when he's sleep and run in the evening when Traci comes home, but its only 2-3 times a week. I'm not on the mat as much anymore and I haven't been to Judo practice in months, but that's cool. I'm not a fan of pain anymore. I do go to MMA practice sometimes at American Top Team to get some grappling in and I haven't lost a step. The last time I was there, my instructor Liborio said to me, "Man you should really do this s---! You can do this!"

I already know that, but I struck a deal with my wife that I wouldn't pursue the MMA thing. I thing I got the bad end of that deal :-)

===========
Closing
===========
Everything is cool. Howard Homecoming is in a couple of day. Traci, Rufus and I will travel together and that should be exciting.

I've been working out and training and things are going well. Traci si doing well and Rufus is THE MAN!!

Back At The Olympic Training Center, But This Time For Fun :-)

2007-10-10T10:16:00.000-04:00

===============

Introduction

===============

Traveling is hectic, but traveling with my wife is fun.

We just had a spectacular time this past weekend as we traveled to Colorado Springs, CO to celebrate the birthday of one of our friends, Cara Heads.

Cara just turned the big 3-0. And we thought that we'd surprise her and shoot down there and take her out for her birthday. It was cool.

We left Boca on Friday and then came back on Sunday.

==============
The OlympicTraining
Center
==============

Before going to the Olympic Training Center in the morning, I had to get up and do my 5 mile run because I'm still training for my Marathon in January. I truly forget about the high altitude in Colorado Springs, CO and I damn near killed myself as I ran the same pace that I run when I'm on sea level. I'm not blazing or anything like that, I'm doing an 11:00 minute per mile pace, but for a dude who is not a distance runner and 220 pounds, that's moving. :-)

Traci stayed in the room and did the usual workout that she does at home and then we both went to the OTC to meet Cara for breakfast.

It was weird driving back into the OTC again. I told Traci that my life has really changed since I lived here, with the major change being our son, Rufus. I remember the days when I used to eat, sleep and drink, Judo. Now I eat, sleep and drink, Rufus and Traci and my coaching business.
We had breakfast which was quite good then I met several people who were there when I used to live there and then I met a young lady who is one of my favorite Track and Field athletes at this time, Olympic Gold Medalist and 400 meter runner DeeDee Trotter.

Traci and I both saw her as she was running down the Olympic Path at the training center and we both had to agree that she moved like a gazelle. Every stride was completely effortless. She looked like poetry in motion.

Traci and I met her in the weight room and we took some pictures. She was super cool.

I also ran into my main man C.C. Fisher who is back on the wrestling mat at the OTC after doing a stint of collegiate coaching.

==================
And We're Off
==================

After hanging out in the weight room and watching Cara lift, we all hopped into the car and went to the Rodizio Grill in Denver, Colorado. Its a brazilian steakhouse which was

good and then we all went to see an IMAX movie.

If you've never watched an IMAX movie on the big screen, it's something that you've just gotta do. It was my first time and it was a phenomenal experience.

Then we went to Sushi Den in Denver. The sushi was okay, but not spectacular. Traci and I had to agree that the sushi from our favorite place in Boca, Sushi Yama, was better. And it definitely is not better than the Sushi at Kyoto in Delray Beach. But it was good.

==================

The Accident

==================

I almost ruined the evening because after I dropped Traci and Cara off at the front of the restaurant, I went to park the car and when I was rounding the corner, the back tire clipped the curb and went flat.

I was pissed and had to wait for AAA to come and fix the tire. After that the evening was cool. We were supposed to go and ride go karts later but that kind of ruined the whole time table.
It was a fun weekend. I'm glad that we got to hang out. Both Traci and I agreed that we need to get out and see our friends more. Cara's been to Florida, our friend Kay has been here but we haven't visited anyone.

Next up, we gotta go see our friend G. Stewart and Keita Rone.

===============

Something ToThink On

===============

Go and spend some time with your friends and loved ones. Its such a shame that we really don't see the people we care about until a calamity occurs or a wedding. The great thing about going to Howard University, is at least once a year during Homecoming, you can see a lot of your friends, but under normal circumstances, you just don't get to see your really close friends and loved ones. Go see them. It will do your heart and theirs some good.

Oh, and don't stay long. It's better to leave with people wishing you could stay longer, than having them wish you would go :-)

===============

Closing

===============

Coming Soon! Howard University Homecoming. This will be Rufus' first homecoming. We took him last year but it was too cold for him to be outside. Hopefully, weather permitting, he'll be able to hang! :-)

Did 10.5 Miles on Sunday

2007-10-03T12:26:00.000-04:00

===============
Introduction

===============

Sunday I did my 10.5 mile walk/run where I did 5 min. run/1 minute walk. I finished in exactly 2 hours which was decent for me. It was the first time that I did over 10 miles. I must admit that toward the end it was getting BOOOOOORRRRRRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!! Omigosh, if I had hair I would have pulled it out.

================
Everything went wrong!
================

During my run, everything went wrong. I turned on my GPS and heart rate monitor watch and it read, "low battery" and then turned off. I had to put it back in the car. I had no way of keeping my time so then I just used my Ipod. I looked at the time on my Ipod and then at the 6 mile point my freeking Ipod stopped working. This pissed me off. While running I had to take my bag off, put my headphones in my bag, take my Ipod off, whip out my cellphone and run with my cellphone in my hand to keep the time. This was so irritating I could have acted like my son and plopped down on the concrete and start to throw a major temper tantrum.

===============
Why didn't someone
tell me
===============

Goodness gracious, I didn't know that there was such a thing as bodyglide. What is bodyglide? Well body glide is a lubricant that you can use so that you don't get chaffed on your long runs. I wish someone would have mentioned that to me before Sunday :-/ Ouch, would be an understatement.

================
Family Pictures are finally
here!!
=================

We finally got the family pictures back and they look absolutely wonderful. Well, my wife and son look absolutely wonderful, I look okay :-)

I didn't realize that taking pictures with kids was so difficult. The little guy was just fine until the photographer arrived and then he began to cry like someone had taken his lunch money.

The photo shoot took about 90 minutes, but we got about 300 pictures out of the shoot. It was a good time and agreat recommendation by my father.

============
Closing
============

Well, now I'm taking my Ipod to get fixed (really my wife is), I'm still running, my weight is around 220, my blood pressure is 116/62, my doctor is pleased and everything is great - except for my knees :-(

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson (Still holdin' it down!)

Marathons, "Please" and "I Love You"

2007-09-17T10:38:00.000-04:00

==============
Intro
==============

The last couple of weeks/days have been crazy. My mom came down to visit (which is always and adventure), my son got a little bit sick, and Traci and I got sick too. But we've been pressing on and pressing through.

The great thing is that we've still been SUPER productive. There's so much stuff that I have to share with you so let's dig in.

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New Challenges
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As some of you know, after our anniversary on the 30th of June, I tipped the scale at a whopping 241 pounds!!! Now I weigh 222 pounds and things things have been going absolutely fabulous. My wife is tipping the scales at 119 and next week we are going shopping to next week to get some more clothes. Exercising can get expensive :-)

But the new challenge is this...... I'm training for a marathon and it is actually pretty fun. I'm not sure how many times I'll do it, but right now it's super fun. This weekend I have a 9 miler and I have to 5 mile runs this week. Running is alot easier on the schedule because I can do it in the evening when Traci is spending some one on one time with Rufus. And although it does hurt somewhat on the long runs, it doesn't beat my body up like judo practice. :-)

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What I've Learned
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The ABSOLUTE best training device that I've purchased to date is the Garmin Personal GPS system. This doggone thing is AWESOME!!!! It measures your heart rate, it logs your mileage, calculates the calories burned, it logs where you've been and tells you your pace. It does more, but the best thing is this...

When you're finished running, you hook it up to your computer and it downloads your workout and gives you charts, graphs, worksheets and all kinds of stuff. It tells you how far you've gone, it lets you know your time per mile, and your heart rate during EACH point during your run.

It does so much that I can really explain everything because I just started using my last week. But it is PHENOMENAL. It doesn't matter if your run long distance or sprint, it is absolutely fabulous!!!

The model that I have is the Garmin 305.

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Family Pictures
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For the longest time my dad has been getting on my case about getting some family pictures taken. And with good reason. Traci, Rufus and I really don't have any real good pictures and we need them. Rufus is 17 months now and if we don't capture the memories we won't have them.

The reason why I haven't done it yet is becasue sitting down in Sears or Target to wait and take a picture is a MISERABLE exercise and I just refuse to do it. So I just called a professional photographer and made an appt. for him to meet us at our home.

Why?

Well, first it is wayyyyy more convenient. Second, we were allowed to make several outfit changes. Third, not only were we able to capture the "moment" but we were able to capture the moment in our "own" home. Lastly, we were able to look through all of the photos on the spot, talk about which ones that we liked and negotiated getting the WHOLE photo shoot on CD.

I would definitely recommend going this route to anybody. It is a little bit more pricey, but twhen you look at what you get versus what you pay for, your really come out ahead and you really need to build a good relationship with a reliable photographer for occasions like birthday parties, church occasions, family portraits, and personal portraits.

I now have someone who can take pictures for me for my articles, DVDs and books. I would highly recommend it.

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"Please" and "I Love You"
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Rufus' new favorite phrases are "please" and "i love you" and he also says, "blah blah blah". When I'm talking to someone and I you the phrase, "blah blah blah" he says it too. It's so funny and constantly reminds me that I have to really watch what I say. :-0

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Closing
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If you haven't check out our my myspace page, you can do so a www.myspace.com/rhadi

I will put some of the pictures up there as soon as I get them and I'll put some here too.

That's about it. Take care and God Bless.

Rhadi Ferguson and The Fergusons

EZ

Oh, what a wonderful husband I have!!!!

2007-09-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago, I was sitting in the living room reading one of my medical journals when my husband slipped a packet of papers in front of me. At first I thought it was something related to work but then I saw a handwritten message on the side...."We have tickets to see The Color Purple." And then I shouted for joy!

I have been wanting to see the Broadway show since its opening almost 2 years ago but never scheduled the vacation break nor took the time to plan the trip. But I didn't have to do it because my husband did it for me! He understood the increasing stress I've been under with work, the balancing act I've been on trying to focus on my current job while searching for a new job and keeping it together as wife, mother, friend and of course, Dr. Traci Ferguson, The Health and Wellness Queen. And to top it all off, my mother-in-law would be flying into town to watch Rufus while we're out of town.

When I finally realized what Rhadi had done, I jumped up and gave him a great big hug and a kiss--not only for taking the time out of his busy schedule to coordinate the flights, the hotel and the Broadway tickets but also for giving me what I couldn't even give myself....quality time to relax and reflect on everything that we've been through over the years and the many more blessings in store for us in the future.

I couldn't ask for anything more than the memories that we shared and created during our New York trip. We strolled hand in hand down Broadway, ate breakfast at a trendy cafe, experienced The Color Purple with Fantasia, watched tennis' US Open live and in color, spent time in fellowship with Rhadi's fraternity brother who lives in NYC and even did a little Salsa dancing at a well-known NY club.

Never in my wildest dreams could I have planned all of this in one weekend but we made it happen. We experienced New York City like never before.

When I really needed to get away from the hustle and bustle, when I needed to reconnect with my husband, Rhadi was right there, to give me everything that I needed and more without having to ask for it. He was able to sense my every need and supply that need without question or hesitation. Now that's what I mean about having an amazing and wonderful husband!

So here's to all those hardworking men out there that take the time to care for their families and go the extra mile to bring joy into the hearts of their wives and children....we thank you. And I give special thanks to Rhadi for giving me joy each and every day.

Take care,
Traci, Better known as Rufus' Mom

The 10 Commandments, According to Rhadi Ferguson…

2007-08-29T08:05:00.000-04:00

The 10 Commandments, According to Rhadi Ferguson…

John Wooden once said that “Sports do not build character, they reveal it.” I’m inclined to agree. How you practice (and how much you practice), how you react to winning (and losing) and what athletic goals (if any) you’ve set say a lot about who you are OFF the field as well.

Fitness should be approached holistically. Putting too much emphasis on the physical aspects, while ignoring the mental or spiritual sides can limit your performance AND your performance capability altogether.

If you want to succeed, you’ve got to have a strategy. And a champ strategy begins with strictly adhering to the 10 Commandments of Fitness as revealed to you by, ME – the Strength and Conditioning King!

THOU SHALT learn from the pros. I guarantee that your sport, martial art or training method – no matter how obscure it may be – has a few gurus that you can learn from. Pore over their blogs, bios, books and biographies. Learn ways to tailor their success and make it your own.

THOU SHALT set goals. Aside from winning, the most worthy goal that you can set your sights on is “personal best.” This isn’t just important for chumps, but champs as well. Even if you win EVERY competition (lucky you!), if you’re not giving it your all, you’re playing the part of a chump and your success will surely soon elude you.

THOU SHALT climb outside of your box. True winners are masters of adaptability. They’ve learned that things rarely go as planned. So, they become adept at going beyond the boundaries of their comfort zone.

Train harder than you think you can. Create obstacle courses for your training, practicing as though Murphy’s Law will dominate your next match. If you’ve never entered a “real” competition, go out on a limb and do it! When you aim high, you might miss your target, but your bullet will still cover a LOT more ground!

THOU SHALT NOT get so focused on tomorrow or yesterday that you waste all of today. Your failures (and successes) over the past are just that – your past. They’re over and done with. Tomorrow’s (and next month’s) competitions are beyond your control. All you have is today – right now! Your life is the direct result of all of the little day-to-day decisions that no one pays very much attention to. Stand apart from the rest of the crowd by living in the moment and maximizing your potential at EVERY opportunity.

THOU SHALT rise to the challenge – and do it on purpose! Adversity confronts you on every playing field. There’s no getting around it. Chumps are separated from the champs the same way wheat is separated from the chaff – through fiery trials and tribulations. In life, there are two choices: Whine and make excuses OR take responsibility and make a difference. When challenges rear their ugly heads at you, do more than just grin and bear it – put on a big smile and roar right back!

THOU SHALT remember that your mind MORE than matters! This means more than just wishful thinking. It means knowing your weaknesses and then striving to transform them into strengths. It means taking time out to get away from it all and recharge. Attitude is important, but more important is the inner dialogue you’re listening to day in and day out. If you can reprogram your inner athlete, you may soon see them start shining through in the “real world” as well.

THOU SHALT be proactive. If you fail to take action, you’ll be doomed to merely reacting. Instead of preparing yourself for the future, you’ll be forced to deal with things that are urgent, but not true priorities, whirling your life all out of whack. Take time to step away from the daily grind and take a look at the big picture. Are you where you want to be? If not, what’s holding you back? Are you taking action or simply reacting? Remember, it’s your life! You (not your circumstances) call the shots.

THOU SHALT employ the power of positive thinking. Does this sound like something you’d expect to hear coming from the Health & Wellness Queen instead of yours truly? Well, I’m not trying to scam out using the feel good factor, this stuff is the real deal! Did you know that your subconscious doesn’t recognize negative commands? Words like DON’T, CAN’T and WON’T simply don’t register. If you tell yourself “I won’t freeze up in the next match”, in your brain it becomes “I freeze up in the next match!” Not the best self-talk, huh? Never forget the power of the DON’T think about an elephant trick. Take initiative and re-script your inner command center. Pose thoughts positively and see what happens!

THOU SHALT live abundantly! Life is about a hell of a lot more than the next match or the next trophy. A balanced life demands taking time out for friends, family, vacations, hobbies, education and non-athletic professional development as well. There will come a time in life when you’re no longer able to perform like a pro athlete. What will be left to satisfy you then?

THOU SHALT uncover the Olympian within. Inside of us all, there are two people vying for the forefront and limelight: the person we are and the person we CAN be. Unfortunately, the person we are is devilishly persuasive. “…you don’t really need to train today,”, “Oh, I’ll just eat one more…”, “…but it would be so much easier if…” It takes a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears to make sure that the person we CAN be is the one we turn out to be. The three ingredients to make that happen are DRIVE, DISCIPLINE and DETERMINATION.

While these aren’t the only fitness commandments (hey, there were WAY more than 10 in the Old Testament!), if you don’t take heed to any of my other advice, keep these precepts as a mark that you DON’T want to miss.

I guarantee that the rewards will spill over from your competitive edge and literally flood the rest of your life.

The Ferguson Family Takes a Stroll in the Park

2007-08-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

Rufus and I joined Rhadi on his biweekly run through the park. While Rhadi was running laps up and down the hills surrounding the park, Rufus and I spent some quality time on the swings and monkeybars. Rufus is finally big enough to be on the swing by himself and he just enjoyed watching the other little kids play on the slides while he watched out for his daddy rounding the corner behind him.

Rufus caught on quickly by watching the other older kids kick their legs back and forth to get the momentum to continue swinging. Here he kicks forward and leans back...

...and then leans his upper body forward to complete the pendulum movement....

And there he goes...

Rhadi finished his four laps within 30 minutes and then spent some time playing with Little Rufus before we all headed back in the car for the drive home.

It's amazing how these little trips to the park, to the supermarket....to wherever can brighten up your day. This past week has been incredibly busy at work with several of my colleagues taking vacation so that means more back to back days of work and longer days working up to 14 hours. But when I look around and see my husband working out and staying in shape and gaze down and see Little Rufus enjoying his time on the swing...all the extra stress from the day just fades away!

Rufus is much more active now so Rhadi recently registered him for a playgym where he can interact and play with other kids his age. Rufus enjoys climbing up the slides, playing on the jungle gym and finding any and everything to get into. Rufus loves running around the gym and having fun with the kids and of course, after class he never wants to leave.

I'm on my way right now to get Rufus ready for "class" at the playgym. The gym is a wonderful place where he can explore, discover new things and all with his mommy or daddy by his side. And yes, Rhadi takes him almost everyday....so it's daddy and son together playing....it's a lovely and heart-warming sight. What a wonderful husband and father!

So until next time...

Traci, better known as Rufus' mom

Pursuing a Ph. D is a MASSIVE task, but I'm not in it alone

2007-08-23T07:21:00.000-04:00

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A Brutal Beating
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I've taken my fair share of beatings as a former football playerm wrester and martial artist. And I've dished out my fair share as well. But this Ph. D. business is a lopsided beating where my head is the only thing that is getting lopsided. It's definitely a "doable"task, but its a monumental one. You gotta hang in there and plug away at the doggone thing EVERYDAY.

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Not Alone
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Come to find out, I'm not alone in my quest. Some of my closest friends are all pursuing their Ph. D. right now too.

My best man from my wedding and frat brother, G. Stewart is pursuing his Ph. D. in Chemistry.

My son's godmother and my friend Keita Rone is pursuing her Ph. D. in Education.

My frat brother, friend and G's brother Maurice Hobson is pursuing his Ph. D. in African American Studies with and emphasis on modern day music and culture (his dissertation topic is super cool, I just can't remember what it is, but he has an interview with Andre 3000 in a couple of weeks). But just to let you know........ Maurice is "off the hook", his ish is tight!

These are some of the things that he's done so far.....

“What Y’all Really Know About the Dirty South: Working Towards A Black Southern
Aesthetic in Hip Hop.” Southern Conference on African American Studies, San Antonio, Texas,
February 21-23, 2002.

• “Bad Language, Bad Attitudes, Benevolent Notions: Hip Hop Summit 2002.”
“Stereotypes Within Hip Hop: Ballers Gangstas, Shot Callers.” University of Alabama.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, February 28, 2002.

• Panelist for the African American Association, University of Alabama. “Understanding
Black Male Images and Black Brotherhood in the American Experience.” April 11, 2001.

• Panelist: “Black Manhood, Brotherhood, and Familyhood.” University of Alabama
African American Association Black History Month 2002 Forum (February 2002).

• “Hip-hop’s Role in African American History,” University of Alabama History
Department, Tuscaloosa; April 24, 2001.

• “Rap-Music and African Oral Traditions.” African American Oral History, Stillman
College, Tuscaloosa; November 14, 2001.

• “When I Ruled the World: The World’s Greatest Men and Women of Color.” Historical
Presentation for African American History Month. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated,
Lambda Zeta Chapter, 2002.

• “African American Folklore Within Hip Hop Culture.” Cultural Presentation for
Tuscaloosa City Schools, 2002.

My friend Alexandria Jones, who double majored at Howard University and then went on to get her Masters from Berkeley is finishing up her Doctorate at Berkeley right now in Archaeology. She is a little firecracker and funny as can be (and smart beyond her years).

Another one of my friends, Gena Woodruff, is pursuing her Ph. D. at Georgia Tech. She also went to Howard. She, my wife and I all attended the same high school. They were the two brainy kids. Both of them graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Gena is also 5 months pregnant and expecting her first baby!!! Traci and I are super excited for her (we hope she has a girl) :-)

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Looking To Jump
Over the Chasm
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Some of the people on the aforementioned list will jump over the chasm before I do and some after me. I can't wait until we are all on the other side so we can sit down and break bread and laugh at all of the mess that we've been through. Not many understand the Ph. D. haze. It's brutal, but its fair.

Take care.

Sleep Deprivation of "Moment Maximization"

2007-08-10T04:01:00.000-04:00

Some people say that I'm an insomniac.....

Well, that might be true.....

But, I like to think of myself as a man who Maximizes the time that he's given.

Right now I'm finishing up 3 huge projects: An Exercise DVD and Book, a motivational Audio CD Series and I'm completing my first round of research on my subjects at Howard University.

And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'M ON THE ROAD traveling again.

(I'm kinda pissed off too, because I'm traveling more than I really want to. And I miss my wife and my main man Rufus!)

I truly believe that you can really get more out of life if your pursue it. Just recently I watched the Howard University Football team perform their pre-season conditioning test. They had to run 16 - 110 meter sprints. Because I wanted to examine the conditions of the test due the heat outside. I ran the test before they did and I finished the test with no problem and ran all of the 110s between 16-18 seconds.

I thought to myself, "This test is pretty easy. When we did it when I was in school, we had to run 20. So 16 is no problem."

That is what I thought. I actually watched an athletic display that would have made you embarrased to say that you know these gentlemen. They were so outta shape it was unbelievable. One of the kids (who is on scholarship), fell out and hit the turf after running the 5th 110. It was an absolute disgrace.

Many of the kids told me after the test......... "Coach, I had to work all summer so I really didn't have time to workout." To which I replied, "Son, there are 24 hours in the day. Use all of them. Wake up at 4:30 and run, then go to work. Period!!"

Many people make so many excuses of why they can't get things done that is despicable. They need to visit Coach Ferguson's Blog and get a nice virtual square kick in the @$$

One kid told me, "But Coach, I need my sleep."

To which I replied, "Keep sleeping and you will keep losing!"

Maximize the moments in your life. When you're tired, your body will let you know. Until then, keep pushing. Keep going and keep growin'.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
http://www.rhadi.com

Take A Chance!!

2007-08-06T20:01:00.000-04:00

Wow! I learned a GREAT lesson this past weekend. Or should I say, I "re-learned" a great lesson this past weekend. As a former world class athlete and entrepeneur I've learned thta speed kills. I'm conditioned to move fast, work fast and go fast. And sometimes I go so fast that I run past the minor details and fine print.

My motto is "Move fast and clean up the mess later." We'll that works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't work so well. But the times when it does, outweighs the times when it doesn't by far.

The lesson that I learned this weekend was, "If you want the information, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT." I made a bad, and ill-advised real estate move this weekend and I spent all day reversing my mistake and I paid $5,000 for the mistake that I made, which isn't so bad, considering it could have been a $250K mistake :-) (gotta find the bright side somewhere).

I hustled so fast on this home that was going to be in foreclosure, that I just ran past all of the glaring red lights and hit the gas! :-) Well, after I had the property and deed in hand, I thought to myself, "I need to find a good real estate meeting and coach quick. Somebody, somewhere is always holding a real estate meeting, I'll just find one in South Florida, go and start asking some questions and hire a coach."

Well, that's exactly what I did. I hired a real estate coach who showed me how bad I just got screwed, or should I say, screwed myself and for a second I got down on myself. That's when he said, "Hey brother, it happens to all of us, you could have sat in meetings for months and paid 5 grand or you could have ran out there and bumped your head against the wall. Either way, you were and are going to pay to get the information. And I'd much rather work with someone like you who isn't afraid to take action."

That made me feel somewhat better, but when I see that huge dent in my bank account I definitely get somewhat upset, but only at myself.

The one thing that I can guarantee you is this - I won't get burnt again and I learned in 72 hours things about real estate, loans and mortgages, that people will never learn in this lifetime. And with my new coach I'm going to learn more.

Here's my advice to you.........

Never try to take a shortcut by not paying because you will either pay now or pay later, but you're damn sure gonna pay.

As my pop would say. "You gotta pay the cost to be the boss!"

Just pay it!

In my business and martial arts coaching business I try to tell people all the time that while you are refusing to pay, you are paying, but you just can't see how much because you can't see the money being zapped outta your pocket, but you are still paying.

Get the knowledge and start leveraging your knowledge. I did and I am.

Take it easy

Summer's almost over!

2007-07-16T19:42:00.000-04:00

With the summer days winding down, most of us will be hitting the stores buying back-to-school supplies and gear….getting ready for another school year. But for me, I won’t be hitting the stores. Instead, I’ll be hitting internet sites, searching and researching for enrichment programs for little Rufus for the upcoming year. I realize he’s only 15 months but it’s never to early to start learning…to bring some structure to his daily schedule.

Most kids start kindergarten at age 5 but by age 5 many great composers and musicians were already beginning to study their life’s craft…learning to play instruments from the piano to the drums long before they could’ve started school. I tagged along with my older sister when she started kindergarten and actually went to school with her when I was only 2 years old.

By the time I was “ready” to start kindergarten I already had over 2 years of school under my belt. I want Rufus to experience a little of what I did growing up…always reading, always imagining and always creating. My older sister and I were sooo creative that we actually turned my uncle’s old pig pen into a playhouse! The pigs were long gone but the pen still remained. I know Rufus won’t be playing in any pig pens or going on any scavenger hunts in the woods in the near future but I want him to use his imagination and creativity to pretend like he lives in the country.

Whether it’s reading stories, using his imagination or creating projects or music…we want to give Rufus the opportunity to explore. And for those of you that don’t know, I love to listen to all types of jazz, especially smooth jazz. I even played the clarinet in middle school and high school. I love to kick back on the couch after a long day at work and listen to some jazz on the music channel.

What I find so interesting is some of the classic composers and musicians that I love to listen to started playing their instrument, composed their first work or began singing young….usually between the ages of 3 and 6!

These golden years are usually lost in front of the television but not in the Ferguson house! Instead of spending time finding out what kids program is on TV, Rufus grabs one of his books for us to read to him. He loves for anyone to read to him and we want to keep him reading.

So tonight we’ll cuddle up with a good kids’ book to read before going to bed….and I’ll keep searching for the next learning opportunity.

Take care,
Traci, better known as Rufus’ mom

I'm happy, but exhausted..... :-/

2007-07-11T03:12:00.000-04:00

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Introduction
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Currently I'm in Harrisburg, PA. I had a clinic to do the past two days. It's has been rough. Exciting but rough.

It's been exciting because I ABSOLUTELY love what it is that I do. I get to do all the things that I love doing. (and don't believe the hype, IT STILL DOES FEEL LIKE WORK!) :-) It's just that you don't really get tired of working for yourself because you don't feel like you're getting pimped. But it is worked. Papers stack up, you get backed up with "things-to-do", you're always behind and you always feel like you need a vacation, but the good thing about it is - you can take off when you want to and you can tell your boss, whenever you want to - to go screw himself. Because the boss is you :-)

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In Pennsylvania
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I'm super tired. Everytime I do one of these clinics or camps, everyone wants to do a round or two with "the champ". So I end up fighting and doing randori with EVERYBODY. Holy moly, tonight I was freakin' EXHAUSTED, but I kept going. I felt like the energizer bunny. I kept, going and going, and going and going.

But it was great. I did a camp for 2 days for some young under-privilege kids and I did a clinic at night for the same Judo club who sponsored the judo clinic for the young children.

I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to Boca Raton and the first thing that I'm gonna do is spend some time with my wife Traci!!! ;-)

And then I'm gonna take Rufus outside and play. The following day, I'll take Rufus to the park. He loves to run around and play now. And he likes sitting in between my legs when we go down the slide. So, I think that's what we'll do.

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Closing
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I gotta go, because my flight leaves at 6:00am and right now its 12:09 and my bags aren't packed yet. So, I'll holla at you all later. Take care.

Oh, one more thing...... Make sure you look to the right and check out our Book Recommendations. Traci and I truly believe some of those books will be a blessing in your personal and professional lives.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
http://www.rhadi.com/

What a Wonderful Anniversary!!!

2007-07-03T15:38:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my husband and I spent three glorious days together, without the cellphone constantly ringing, without instant messaging, without faxes to answer and without the internet. It was a weekend where we concentrated on each other without distractions and without..... Rufus. Although we thoroughly missed having Little Rufus around, we needed some "grown-up" time alone so Rufus spent time with our cousins and with my best friend...hanging out and enjoying life without Mommy and Daddy around.

We most definitely needed quality time to spend with one another to continue to edify the wonderful union that took place 5 years ago on June 30, 2002. June 30th signals not only our anniversary but also the anniversary of Rhadi's parents, whose marital union took place 34 years ago on June 30, 1973. We were all gearing up for the anniversary weekend with expectancy, determination and love as I ran around late Friday afternoon getting the final preparations together.

As Rhadi can attest, being married is more than just planning a wedding or a honeymoon, it's more than living under the same roof as someone else, it's about sharing your deepest hopes and dreams with someone else who wants the very best for you, who'll sacrifice for and with you and who'll constantly put the needs of the family before his or her own personal needs.

It takes alot of maturity and hardwork to get to a point in your life when you're not constantly focused on your own personal wishes but continually seek to build up and better your family as a whole....even if that means that you (temporarily) will take a backseat.

I never thought that I could love someone so totally and so fully as I love Rhadi. Because I spend alot of my time with work and all that it entails to run a physician practice, I had to put that much energy and then some in to creating a romantic getaway fit for a king....The Strength and Conditioning King.

That meant my best friend and I had to take a look at the room several days before the big day and to my surprise...she along with the concierge staff at the resort decorated the room beautifully....here are some of the pictures of the room..

Rose petals line the entryway...

....towards the bed....

With fresh strawberries.....whipped cream and a dozen roses to set the mood for a romantic weekend!

We had an awesome time this past weekend celebrating our anniversary. And Rhadi gave me the best gift ever....himself.....his mind, his body and his spirit.

So to all of you who are celebrating your anniversaries during these summer months....Congratulations!

Take care,

Traci, better known as Rufus' mom

It will be 5 years on the 30th of June

2007-06-28T16:26:00.000-04:00

On June 30th my wife and I will celebrate 5 years of marriage and I must say - it's been rough. It's been great, but it's been rough.

For all of those who aren't married. Let me tell you this. MARRIAGE is no joke!!

My wife and I have a GREAT marriage. I mean, there are no problem (Gracias Dios), but it's still rough. When I was single I could just wake up and go, but now when I wake up the first thing that I do is go into the home office and look up at our home calendar.

Our home calendar tells us where we are, where we are going to be, it provides me with my wife's work schedule, it provides my wife with my travel schedule and it has ALL of our appointements on it.

The calendar is like our personal monthly playbook that is IMPOSSIBLE to memorize :-)

Sometimes we forget to put things on the calendar and it totally screws up the day and sets up a good argument, but we NEVER have one.

I can honestly tell you that my wife and I have NEVER had a yelling and screaming match. NEVER!!

Now we have had family meetings and discussions in a calm manner while sitting on the couch, but we've never had a yelling and screaming match.

I'm not sure why, but we just never had. Even when we've both been heated. I guess we just figured out that you get more with honey than you do with vinegar.

I know some of you are asking yourself, "Well what seems so bad about marriage?"

Well, I never said marriage was bad. I said it was tough. And it is.

It is a lot of work, but like anything else, if you put the work in the the reward is great. And the beautiful thing is that I can wake up next to and speak to my "reward" every day.

I love my wife and it has been a privilege and a blessing to be married to her. Traci is my wife and my bestest friend in the world.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson

Lil' Rufus is Sick :-(

2007-06-21T23:43:00.001-04:00

I've left again :-( and I'm super sad. I'm at a camp in North Carolina because I have to teach some Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu at a Clinic. And that's great, but my son has a fever and has been vomiting for 2 days now.

Last night Traci had to take him to the emergency room and the little guy has been crying, screaming and hollering ever since.

It just hurts my heart to know that he doesn't feel well. Traci has been somewhat sick and Lil' Rufus ended up getting sick too. On top of that, I didn't even get to tell him goodbye before I left.

Traci had to take him over to one of our friend's from the Church so she could watch him while I was out of town and he was already gone by the time I came back from Judo practice with my client Taraje .

I did talk to Traci tonight and she said that Rufus is doing somewhat better, but that he's still a little bit sick. The doctor prescribed him some antibiotics and he's been sucking on Pedialyte popsicles so that he can stay hydrated because he's been having a hard time keeping food down.

That's about it.

Take care and make sure you stop by my myspace page at www.myspace.com/rhadi

Thanks for the emails (here's to those of you that asked about our reading list)

2007-06-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

Hey there. Traci and I have been getting a lot of personal feedback from our family blog and we must say that we are more than happy to share "our" world with you.

Often times people comment on our family, our relationship and how much they enjoy reading our thoughts and how much of an inspiration we are to them. Many people ask us, "What's in your home library?" or "What are you reading right now?"

So we came up with a list of books which you can find here:

Our PERSONAL Recommendations For You and Your Family

You can also click over to the right where it says: "our personal recommendations....."
and access our book list there too.

Right now I'm reading a book called the "Strategy Paradox" by Michael Raynor. It is absolutely phenomenal. I'm not sure exactly how I "squeeze" in the time to read it but I do.

We certainly hope that enjoy some of the books. We will post more as we get the time. Take care.

Rhadi

P.S. The Summer is a great time to start up a "reading list" and to knock out some of the books that you've been dying to read.

Our trip to Maryland to visit the Grandparents

2007-06-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

Rufus and I had a very eventful weekend with a brief but exciting trip to Maryland to visit the Grandparents. The first and last time we traveled to Maryland was in October for Rufus' Baby Dedication. So after one very long, but eye-opening trip I learned what millions of parents struggle with every day when they're traveling with little ones---you live for the kind generosity of family, friends and even strangers to make your trip less stressful and more enjoyable.

With one stroller, one car seat, two carry-on bags and two rolling suitcases, Rufus and I headed for the Check-in counter at 5:45 am on Thursday morning for our 7am flight. Rhadi couldn't travel with us because he had to present at the Martial Arts Millionaires weekend, so Rufus and I set out on our trek to Maryland.

Amazingly, the flight departed and arrived on time and as we disembarked from the plane Rufus' grandparents were waiting patiently with open arms to greet us as we walked through the security gate. I carried the digital camera with me but was so excited to be back in the D.C. area that I forgot to take pictures of our reunion.

Once we trekked all our luggage to the rental car depot, we headed off to the outer skirts of Maryland to see my mom. My mom and I had already planned to take pictures with Rufus at a local potrait study on Friday and here's our photo gallery from the session....oh, the many facial expressions of such a handsome 14 month old boy!

The most serious of poses.....one woman at work said Rufus looks like a future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court!

Here's Rufus in his most comfortable pose with his hand behind his neck, sucking his thumb!

My mom and I had a blast taking pictures with Rufus but after about an hour, I was tired and ready to head home.

The day we left for home, Rufus had the opportunity to visit with the oldest member of the family, his great-great-great Aunt Evelyn, who's at the tender age of 92! I'm still trying to unpack so I haven't quite found the camera yet but I'll post their picture in one of my upcoming posts.

And to those of you who think that I just threw my workout schedule out the window during my trip...you're wrong. Even though I was fighting a cold, I was still able to manage working out with a modified program of the Backyard Workout. My mother thought I was crazy workout out in her living room but I've got to keep in great shape for the summer and to keep my energy up to run after Rufus!

So until next time....take care,

From Traci, better known as Rufus' mom.

In The Atlanta Airport

2007-06-11T09:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm in my favorite ariport in Atlanta, eating at my favorite restaurant when I travel Paschal's.

Paschal's is a traditional souther restaurant with traditional southern cuisine. I had my flight re-routed this morning so I could come through Atlanta instead of Cleveland. For 3 main reasons:

1. The other plane was a small plane and I DO NOT DO WELL on small planes. I generally fly first class (when I got it like that :-) ) but on this particular occasion I booked my flight a little late (as usual) and I was stuck like chuck on the outbound flight with a window seat, which I abhor and detest. So on the way back I asked for an aisle, but the plane was one of those puddle-jumper joints and I wasn't goin' for it!

2. The other reason why I changed flights is because the visual landscape (wink wink) at the Atlanta airport is better than Clevelands. :-) The airport is not so homogenous and its just a great "feel good" environment.

3. Paschal's!!!!

Well, below are some photos from this weekend's Martial Arts Millionaire Seminar

My exercise regimen has gone to pot for the past 4 days. My stairmaster in my garage has broken, but I did buy a nice Airdyne machine this week, but my travel and preparation schedule just wrecked me. As soon as I get home (after I get some rest) I'm going to jump on 2 sets of Working Out With Rhadi and make it happen.

Traveling sux!! But I do love my job.

Take care.

P.S. I really miss my wife and Lil' Rufus

I Absolutely Love My Job!

2007-06-10T13:29:00.000-04:00

Work, work and more work. :-)

I tell you what. I ABSOLUTELY love my job, I really do. I love helping people and providing people with solutions to their problems in order for them to achieve higher and better levels of success personally and professionally.

Last night I had a life coaching call with one of my Olympian clients and it was one of those breakthrough conversations where you finally realize that the other person FINALLY gets it.

For this particular client I helped her get out of debt, put money in her savings account, get in graduate school, re-structure her Olympic career, and position herself for life after sport.

She is REALLY gettin' it done and I'm very proud of her. Last night we actually talked about her "next" move and what it is that she wants to do professionally.

She understands what a lot of people understand, what I understand, what my wife understands and what my parents have taught me over the years. And that is, "Align yourself with the individuals who can mentor you, teach you, coach you and provide you with the things which are going to propel you towards the goals that you would like to reach."

As a coaching professional I've had the opportunity to really touch and change lives and I REALLY dig it. I've coached and I do coach Olympians, World Champions, Athletes, general population, men and women and even families. I've coached them many areas of life from nutrition, to weight loss, to health, to martial arts, to relationships and marriage, to school, finances and personal development.

This weekend I'm at a Millionaire Martial Arts Seminar and I had to provide a motivational and business information speech and it was a hit. Not because I'm savvy at speaking, but because people love the truth and that's what I deliver.

I'm still at the seminar and I will leave tomorrow morning and return back to my home to my wife and son and to my home office. I really miss my wife and son, but they know that I have to help others so that I can fulfill one of my purposes in life. First and foremost, I'm a husband and a father, and after that, I'm a Coach. :-)

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson

Gone Again....

2007-06-08T23:58:00.000-04:00

I'm in New Jersey this weekend at a Martial Arts Millionaire Seminar. I'm speaking this weekend about motivation and success and sharing some of my personal business strategies and business philosophies.

I'm excited about this, but once again, I'm away from my family.

Rufus and Traci are in Maryland. Rufus is seeing his grandparents and he's enjoying his time in Maryland.

I got to talk to Rufus today and he was yappin' it up with his dad on the phone which put a huge smile on my face.

I'm pretty tired and I gotta get some rest for tomorrow.

Eeeeeee Zeeee

Stutin' Like My Daddy

2007-06-05T12:57:00.000-04:00

My son and I hung out on Sunday at the Pre-Father's Day Program.
By the end of the day he was DOG-tired!!

He looked like he was drunk, he was so sleepy. Since many of you write us about Rufus, we'd thought that we share some more Rufus moments with you.

He's growing up and turning in to such a Lil' man. :-)

Take care.

And don't forget to stop by www.rhadi.com

Finally, I'm getting some down time....

2007-05-29T19:11:00.000-04:00

This past week has been extremely hectic! I working six 12 hour shifts in the past seven days and yesterday was a much needed day of rest for me. But I couldn't stay in bed too long because on my days off, it's my time to "be up to bat" with Rufus.

Rhadi and I have a well-oiled machine going on over here....he takes care of Rufus most of the days and when I'm off, I take over and give him time to catch up on his blogs, on his research and his projects. Because I don't get to spend as much time with Rufus as I'd like to, I try to make the most of our days together. So since I had a few minutes alone in the office...Herman (our new house guest) is reading to Rufus in the living room....I was able to download some pictures of our most recent adventures.

Earlier this month, Rufus had his first visit to the dentist. The office staff was incredibly friendly and the place was decorated more like a playhouse than an actual dentist's office. Rufus was a star patient....I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother....the dentist actually said that this was the first time a toddler Rufus' age did so well during the whole cleaning process. To tell you the truth, Rufus just likes the taste of the baby toothpaste.

Here's a picture of Rufus coming home from his first dentist's visit.....the animal balloon was his gift for being such a great patient!

Rufus has five teeth now and can't wait to start chewing on something with a little more substance than mashed food.

Last week I knew that I wouldn't be able to spend any real quality time with Rufus....aside from feeding him dinner and giving him his bath before he goes to bed, so we took a trip to the Museum of Science and Discovery in Fort Lauderdale. Rufus was probably the youngest kid in the place but you surely couldn't tell. He had a ball. We started out in the ocean section looking at the tanks full of coral, eels, tropical fish and even sharks.

He's still in the stroller...just getting started.

He's actually watching some high school kids ride up the escalator.....

Then we went to the toddler area where he went from computer to computer tapping on the keyboards, climbed up stairs to chase after another older boy and even went orange picking in the grove. Here he is on his own very John Deere tractor---this brings back memories when I was growing up. I'd love to sit and watch as my grandfather drove his John Deere tractor across the lawn transforming it into a well-manicured piece of art. I still love the smell of fresh cut grass....well, that's the old country girl in me!

After taking a spin on the tractor, we headed to the science area where Rufus could literally see the sound waves transmitted through a vacuum of beads as he played on the piano, saw how the burning of our garbage can turn steam into an energy source to supply electricity and even got to see the sketelon of a T-Rex.

We ended the day with stroll in the air park where Rufus thought he was a fighter pilot behind the controls of a jet. I could have spent hours trying to navigate my jet off the ground...or trying my best to stimulate a smooth take-off. After about 3 tries I finally got the jet off the ground!

He was concentrating so hard to guide his jet :-)

Once I finally got Rufus in the car I knew he'd had a long day because even I was tired! When I turned around as I exited the garage, I had to take this picture....he played soooo hard and had so much fun that he just tired himself out.

Once we got home and I put Rufus to bed, he slept for the next 12 hours straight!!!! Now that was a great day!

We're going to be heading up to Maryland next week to visit the family so I'll be sure to take the camera along so we can catalog Rufus' trip.

Take care,

Traci, better known as Rufus' Mom

P.S. Downtime doesn't mean downtime from exercising because I'm still on my 3 days or more a week schedule to keep in shape. I've got to stay in bathing suit ready at all times. The Backyard Workout is what I do....it's hard but fast!

One out and one coming.....

2007-05-29T10:09:00.000-04:00

================
One Down, One to Go
================

My client Taraje is leaving today to return home after and intense training camp and when he leaves, we have to clean up the room, change the bed linens and get ready for our little friend Herman.

Herman is about 11 years old and we keep him sometimes. Herman and my son Rufus have on heckuva time. Herman plays basketball so we usually have to pick him up from practice and make sure he gets him homework done at night.

It's cool practice for when Rufus gets older.

Last night was also cool. I had an opportunity to try and help my cousin Jasmine prepare for her math test. I really love Jas and would like for her to spend some more time with my wife and I but we're just sooooo busy. Goodness gracious, sometimes it seems like my wife and I are like two ships passing in the night :-) Jasmine is a real cool kid who I would really like to take to Howard's Homecoming with me later on this year so that she can get a real cool view of black college life and college life in general. But really I want her to see why we say, "Ain't no party like a HU party." :-)

=================
Like Two Ships
=================

I usually have to get all of my work done between the hours of 10pm to 4am and then I'm up and on the stairmaster, in the gym or working out at home at 5:30 or six. I take a nap during the day when Rufus does and then I keep running.

I usually am able to go for a long time until I crash and burn like I did last week by getting a cold or something. My friends call me an insomniac :-) but I'm not. I'm just living my life the way that I always have. I've been like this since college. I can remember sleeping on the floor in the engineering library at Howard from the hours of 3:30am to 5:30am only to get up and take my toothbrush and toothpaste out of my book bag to brush my teeth and then head up the hill to the gym for wrestling practice that started at 6am.

After practice I'd shower, go eat breakfast and then head off to my 8am class. (I had an 8 am class EVERY semester when I was in college. I didn't believe and don't believe in sleeping ones life away). This is just how I do it, but I do make sure that my son is in bed and not doing it like me.

==============
What's New
==============

One of the characters that I've created is really taking some heat from his blog posts. I kinda laugh when I read the posts because people get so caught up in the posts and I want to tell them that they are humorous, yet thought provoking posts to make you think. But people get caught up in them like its a soap opera.

It's cool. But I have to constantly tell them. THAT IS NOT ME. That's a character. Kind of like the actors and actresses you see on television. My personal blog is right here, those other blogs are for what they are for.

If you ever want a good belly aching laugh, tune into www.coachferguson.com :-) You'll get a kick out of it. Coach Ferguson ain't no Don Imus, but he is close. He's like Dr. Phil on 'roids.

===============
Personal
===============

Well, I'm going to drop a couple of pounds to see it affect on my blood pressure. Right now I weight between 228-232 lbs. I took my blood pressure yesterday and it was 125/72 and 123/69. I would really like to get the top number in the teens. It was like that at one time and I need to get that back.

So I'll let you all know how its going and what changes I've made in order to get it down.

That's about it for today.

If you want to get in some great shape and stay in shape, I would highly recommend The Backyard Workout.

I Was Watchng The UFC Tonight And......

2007-05-27T03:28:00.000-04:00

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Watching the UFC
==============

Tonight I was watching the UFC with my client Taraje Williams-Murray and Taraje asked me, "Ferg, why don't you jump in there in the 205 lb. division?"

And I sounded like a complete chump, but I told him the truth, with my wife in earshot. I replied, "My wife won't let me." He laughed, but I was serious. My wife put part of her life on hold so that I could pursue my dream of becoming an Olympian and chasing an Olympic Medal and now its time for me to pursue other avenues in my life. And everytime I get the "itch" I have to remember, the we have a deal.

Now that the blood pressure is somewhat under control, I think - "all I need is a couple of fights, and I'll be right at the top of the food chain in MMA - easy..." But I know it wouldn't end there. And I love my wife more than fighting :-) so I'll train with the fellas and hang out like I do now and live vicariously through my clients and friends.

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This Week
=============

This week Taraje is leaving. His training camp is over and our filming session is done. I really think that my son Rufus is going to miss seeing him. He's gotten used to seeing him around and really like to play with Taraje.

I've received another offer to attend a camp (this time a Wrestling Camp) in Orlando and I have to see, if it will fit in the schedule. It was last minute, but when the $$$ calls, you have to answer. Because the people want their mortage money every month and we've got to give it to them.

=============
Friday Nite
=============

Two nights ago I spoke with the Youth at our church and boy oh boy was it an enlightening experience. I think that the youth really enjoyed my "keep it real" approach because I basically let them know I make mistakes too. I think people appreciate it when you're geniune and you don't try to act like you're perfect all the time.

It seems like there is such a huge disconnect between the youth and my church and the older members. I hope that my wife and I can help bridge the divide. I wish I could tell you more about the discussion, but I'm super tired right now.

It's 3:39am on Sunday morning and I have to workout before church and get Rufus ready because Traci works tomorrow. I think I'll just do 2 sets of The Intermediate Protocol in The Backyard Workout and call it a day. And then my cousins are coming over to watch the basketball game.

So, take it easy.

Rhadi Ferguson

I have a Confession to make......

2007-05-24T05:45:00.000-04:00

I have to admit something to you…..

Most of you know me and you know that I’m a health nut. I eat healthy, my wife eats healthy and we exercise a MINIMUM of 3 times a week. I usually do at least 5 to 6 sessions in a week. I’ll do a Krispy Kreme binge about once every 60 to 90 days but other than that we keep it together.

Many of you know that my father had a mild heart attack last year and that I have been diagnosed with hypertension. Well, I’m pleased to say that my father is in good health. He’s been eating right, dropping weight and he’s doing just fine.

Keeping My Blood Pressure Under Control
Is A Daily Battle, It’s A Struggle

As for me, my hypertension is under control until I travel. Every time I travel it gets out of control for a couple of days. It’s so difficult to control the food selection when I travel. At home I eat a lot of zero sodium soups and chicken and fish. I season up my food with no salt seasoners and I eat well. But on the road, there’s more salt and sodium in the food than I take in at home, and while it tastes great (I’m not gonna lie) – it makes my blood pressure skyrocket.

After 2-3 days of staying at home and getting into my regular groove, I’m back to normal. But it is a daily struggle.

For those of you who have this similar problem or if you have the precursors of hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. Please take this message to heart.

Heart Disease Is Like A Person That Sneaks Up On You
In The Parking Lot And Bashes You Over The Head With A Crobar!!
You Never See It Coming!

The number one killer in the world today is heart disease. And the sad thing about it (and my wife says this all the time) is that many of you can simply eliminate this problem and add years to your life.

I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I exercise on a regular basis and I do it for a number of reasons.
========
Reason #1
========

First, it’s the right thing to do.

I don’t wear my religion on my shoulder but I’m definitely not ashamed to let some of you know that I’m Christian and that I believe in Jesus Christ. Now I’m not saying that to preach to you, because Lord knows that if you catch me on the wrong day of the week, you’d be hard pressed to point your finger at me and say, “That guy’s a Christian.” My tongue still flies off the handle at times, but I’m working on it (I’m actually laughing as I write).

But on a serious note, in Romans 12:1 there’s a scripture that talks about us presenting our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable. And the scripture goes on to say that this is our reasonable service.

Now, I’m sure you know like I do (and this ain’t no Jesus-pitch, this is the truth) – that being overweight JUST IS NOT REASONABLE nor acceptable.

Now it is understandable, but it is not REASNONABLE. So when I say that eating healthy is the right thing to do, this is where I’m coming from.

========
Reason #2
========

I have a responsibility and an obligation as long as I’m able-bodied to make my wife’s life a pleasant as possible. I certainly don’t think that my wife would be much too pleased if I put on a whopping 30-40 pounds. It isn’t sexy and it just isn’t fair.

And I feel the same way. Just think how you would feel if you got lured into a car dealership thinking that they were going to sell you one thing and then sold you something else. You’d be pissed! I’m sure you would. As a matter of fact, that same thing that I’m talking about is called the “bait-and-switch” technique. It is illegal and it should be illegal in marriage too.

You just cannot “lure” someone in and then all of a sudden put on 30-40 pounds unnecessarily and not expect them to have some issues with your weight gain. That’s not right to your partner, it not right for yourself and it’s not fair.

========

Reason #3
========

I kinda dig the way that I look naked.

Call it conceited, call it what you want. But that’s the truth (I’m laughing again).

But, let me be serious once again. I ALSO understand that many times it is not your fault that you are in the circumstance which you find yourself. Many times life provides you with a square kick in the pants and you can’t do anything but sit down, lick your wounds, and lick an ice cream cone. That’s about all that you have strength to do.

And many times, the food is your only solace, your lone hiding place, because the food doesn’t talk back, it doesn’t argue and it accepts you for who you are. I understand.

In 1998, I Ballooned Up To A Ripe 238 lbs.!!!!!

When I was living by myself in Southern California in 1998 I ballooned up to a ripe 238 pounds. I had a lucrative Sales job and I was exercising every day but the travel was killing me and the food choices that I was making were absolutely horrible. It seemed like I worked out but the weight just wasn’t coming off. So believe me when I say that I know your frustration.

But Rhadi, I Just Don’t Have The Time……

I also know that time is tight and many of you have a job, some are single parents and some of you are trying to run a home and after you’ve fed and clothed everybody and walked the dog, you’re just too damned tired to do anything else.

Well, my wife and I understand all of that and we’ve actually tried to help out as many people as we possibly can so that they will save time and still be able to live healthy.
It is actually our passion. We've constructed several workouts in order to save you time and money and most recently we've constructed The Backyard Workout which provides you with some excellent and easy diet advice and a workout that is easy-to-do and hard to mess up.

Well, here's The Solution To Your Problems....

Well, this Father’s Day we actually are doing something special for the Dad’s and future dads out there. It is my desire to be around as long as I can for my son and I’m really trying to govern myself accordingly. And I’m sure its your desire to be around as long as you can for your children and/or your loved ones.

Now, I’m sure there are a few girlfriends and wives that would like to have their husbands or significant others fall dead, BUT I hope none of those people are reading this at this time. If they are then I ask for God to please turn their hearts. And if their hearts still don’t turn, then I ask God to turn their feet, so that we may know them by their limping. :-)

All jokes aside…… The week of Father’s Day, Traci and I are going to do something special for the Dad’s and we would like EVERYBODY to get involved, not just the Fathers.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson

P.S. If you don't yet have The Backyard Workout. I would suggest that you get it IMMEDIATELY at least give it a try. If you don't like it, we'll give you your old body back, we guarantee it. :-)

Father's Day is coming soon!

2007-05-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Father's day is coming soon and in my home when I was growing up we would celebrate Father's Day by FIRST and foremost, giving honor to The Father by attending church and honoring my earthly father, my pop, by either going out to dinner or providing him with gifts and pampering him around the house.

When I was growing up, I never knew what my father wanted for Father's Day. There just aren't an array of goodies to provide Dad like there are for mom. (I guess real Dad's don't worry about what they need, but about what you need. That was very apparent in my home.)

I mean after buying a couple bottles of cheap cologne year after year and getting pop the oh-so-ugly fat tie. What's left? Try as hard as we might, there is no card, gift, phone call or amount of money that can actually amount to all the things that many of our fathers have done for us.

As I play with my son on some mornings I wonder if he'll do the same for his son and I often wonder what was going through my dad's head when he was bouncing me up and down on his chest. Because a mere smile or giggle from my son just puts me on cloud 9 (and sometimes 10).

To be completely honest with you, you never really think about death and/or dying like you do when you have children. And I don't mean it in a negative way but in a positive one.

You really start to search in the cracks and crevices of your mind - the things that you must and need to instill in the mind of this little person that you've been blessed with so that he or she will become a good citizen, a good person. You start to catalog the pieces of wisdom that you must impart and then you provide those issuances accordingly.

You also want to create a platform from which they can survive if you had to "leave" here. You really get your priorities in order -BIG TIME!!

Well, I couldn't really tell you all of the things my pop provided me with when I was growing up but I can tell you this - I love my ole man som'n serious. He and I have a great time and a bunch of laughs together. My mom always tells me that when he "leaves" here, I'm going to have it a lot rougher than her. And you know what, she may be right. But right now he's here and I love him and call him everytime time permits. And he's the main reason why I named my son after him.

So as Father's Day nears, I would encourage you to take some time out and reflect on all the things that your Father has done for you and that your father has done for you ;-)

And I'd like to share this video with you below. It's quite a tear jerker. It got me and I'm not the cryin' type.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson (a.k.a. Rufus' son and Rufus' dad)

The Judo Crusader...also known as my husband....is BACK!!!!

2007-05-20T17:25:00.001-04:00

Rhadi arrived back in South Florida early this afternoon as I was driving back to work. I woke up at 4 am this morning so I could get to work early....see most of my patients....and head off to our cousin's graduation this morning at 10 am. I arrived just in time to see him walk in the processional as Pomp and Circumstance played in the background.

This graduation brought back fond memories of graduations past--both mine and Rhadi's. I still remember sitting next to my soon to be in-laws as Rhadi received his Master's degree in 2002. When he walked across the stage he gave a shout out to his fraternity brothers sitting in the audience and he was so full of energy, excitement and relief! This graduation also brought up thoughts of our next graduation less than two years away when Rhadi will be conferred with his doctorate degree!! I know he can't wait to get started on the research for his dissertation because once he starts he'll be able to see the finish line ahead.

With Rhadi out of town and my 12 hour shifts in the hospital, Rufus has been staying with our cousin....and oh, how I missed him. I did get the chance to see Rufus today after the graduation ceremony just long enough to take a few pictures, change his diaper and then head back to work to finish out my shift. We're on a roller coaster over here but I'm looking forward to the end of June when Rhadi and I can take a much needed rest from our busy schedules and celebrate our 5 year anniversary!

Well, I'll be leaving work soon to pick up Rufus.....

Take care,

Traci....better known as Rufus' mommy!

Heading out of town again

2007-05-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, it's me the former World Traveler and current domestic leapfrogger who bounces around the U.S. will be bouncing out again today.

Today I'm headed up to Boston, Mass. I haven't been there in a long time since I used to work in Attleboro, MA. for Texas Instruments. I'm going up there to record a video for a new DVD project with 4-Time Olympian and 1999 World Judo Champion Jimmy Pedro called "Underground Gripfighting Secrets". I hope that we can finish the project in time before his release of his new DVD and Book Grip Like A World Champion.

The Underground Gripfighting Secrets is due out later on this year so I'm humping to get this done.

============
About the Ph. D
============

This has to be the MOST painful process ever known to man. I'm waiting for my IRB to get approved at Howard University so that I can begin my research. I've been approved at Florida A&M University already. After the approval I need to get all of my documents into my advisors and then do the research, write the final write up and graduate. This all needs to happen within the next 12-18months. I don't have any hair to pull out but I started in 2002 and I have to be done by 2009. So time is-a-tickin'.

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Father's Day
============

Father's day is coming soon and I'm excited. This will be my second Father's Day with the lil' guy and I can't say enough about my son. He's the Greatest. He's right up there with the best kid ever.....ME! :-)

That's all for now. I gotta pack and catch my limo.

Okay, okay, there is no limo but I'm practicing for the day when I'll really need to say that.

Take care.

What a Wonderful Mother's Day!

2007-05-14T17:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a great day! I got to spend the day with the two most important men in my life...my husband and my son. The day started early....at about 4:00am! I had to work a short shift in the hospital Sunday so I woke up extra early so that I could see all of my patients and still have time to meet up with Rhadi and Rufus at church for morning service. As I left out through the garage I stopped by the living room to take one last look at the 3 dozen roses that Rhadi and Rufus sent me for Mother's Day. Looking at that wonderful gesture of love made the next eight hours of work pass very quickly.

When I arrived at church, the service had already started but I got there just in time to see Rufus tapping away on the tamborine. Rufus sure loves those percussion instruments...give him a drum stick or even a chop stick and he's hitting on anything to make some noise.

After church we spent the afternoon and evening at our cousins' house with the rest of the family...celebrating mothers. After filling up on chicken, turkey wings, salad and good laughs, Rhadi and I got to work discussing our plans for our upcoming Health and Wellness Summit scheduled for August. We spoke with our pastor to start working on a gameplan to get the speakers in place and the itinerary set for our first annual comprehensive and educational Health and Wellness Summit.

We're in the beginning stages of the planning process but this summit is going to be amazing....for everyone involved. We're going to be giving away incredible information about any and everything when it comes to your health and wellness. We've got lots of work ahead but we're going to love every minute of it especially if it means that one more person is going to take the next step towards getting healthy and staying healthy.

Well, I've got to get home now and get working.

Take care,
Traci....better known as Rufus' mom.

Missing the men in my life....

2007-05-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

I just left my good friend's house about midnight tonight as she was getting Rufus ready for bed. With Rhadi out of town and my work schedule, Rufus has had to stay over a family friend's house for the past two nights. I missed him so much after work that I drove straight from work to spend the evening with him at her house.

I wanted to stay cuddled up with him watching him as he slept but I knew I'd pay for it later this morning when the alarm goes off at 6 am sharp. I'm looking forward to having both the men in my life back at home soon.....it's lonely going to sleep and waking up alone...the only one in the house. Normally, every light is on...every room has some type of activity going on....but now, the only thing on is the light in the home office and this computer.

Because I didn't get home until so late I missed a day of working out but I'll be back on the grind tomorrow firing up my Working Out with Rhadi DVD. I really enjoy the quick but intense workout that helps me stay in shape and get ready for my bathing suit days coming up next month. Rhadi and I will be celebrating our 5th year anniversary June 30th and I have some special plans in the works!

So it's almost quarter 'til 1:00 in the morning and I must get going...I have a long day at work later today.

Take care,
Traci....better known as Rufus' Mom

On the road again.......

2007-05-07T06:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back on the road. I'm in DC for a meeting and right now I am at my parents house. It's always good to spend some time with the "fam" :-)

I woke up this morning at 4:45am, got dressed and went downstairs and commenced to working out. I would have loved to go outside, but it's FREAKING 40 degrees in the morning up here in Maryland. That's a lot more chilly than a pleasing and relaxing and soothing and warming and lovely 86 degrees like in Boca Raton :-)

So I did my workout inside this morning. After that, I had breakfast which consisted of (drum roll please)

Egg whites....
Chicken Breast..... and
A tablespoon of salsa on the side.

And 2 cups of decaf coffee just to "warm up the bones" because its so doggone chilly here.

I'm looking forward to my meeting today and using the DC Metro Subway system. It's been a long time since I used the metrorail, I'm kinda looking forward to getting on there and "people watching."

It's always interesting and I don't think that today will be any different.

That's about it for today.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson (a.k.a. Rufus' Dad)

P.S. If you wanna know what I did this morning for my workout - I did my at home workout this morning because it was quick, fast and easy. You can do it too, if you go right here --> http://www.thebodyweightworkout.com

P.P.S. Of course, as always, I really miss my wife and lil' Rufus. :-(

It's Super Cool Being Able to Work With My Wife

2007-05-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

I must say that it has been super-cool to work along with my wife. She's doing her thing in the hospital and then when she comes home, we talk about her day and we chill and produce fitness and health and wellness products to enhance the lives of others.

We started out with the Working Out With Rhadi Project, which has helped numerous people lose weight and get in shape. It is super popular with the jet-setters, the stay at home moms, the salesperson who can't find a gym, and the people who are squeezed for time and just need to get in a good workout to stay in shape and feel great.

This project was shot right in my home so that you could see exactly how I workout when I'm strapped for time. There's also an example of how my wife makes the adjustments for her so that you can see the workout is for everybody. People have been making some radical changes to their bodies and the health with this program.

It was a quick, fast and dirty :-) DVD but it packed the same power as a good ole' sucker punch.

Sometimes the "delightfulness" is in the details. This is one of those cases.

And, Rufus' (our son) made his DVD debut in this video :-)

After the first project, we decided that we had to take Bodyweight Training to ANOTHER level. So we started scripting, laying out and structuring The Backyard Workout. The key to this project was that we wanted to make sure that EVERY person at EVERY fitness level could use this workout from our parents to Olympians is available here. And, there more exercises with and in-depth explanation of "how" and "why" each exercise is there and the purpose it serves.

It really was a fun project to make a good one to get finished. Now Traci is working on her first solo project called "The 21 Secrets To Amazing Health". I haven't seen it but I'm looking forward to reading it myself

I guess that's it for now. We could certainly use your support on the projects. We really have been trying to put out the best products possible to help other live a healthier lifestyle. Exericse should be a "way of life", especially if you want to be around for a long time to see you children and your grandchildren grow up.

If you get up everyday, you should exercise at least 20-30 minutes a day. C'mon, it's easy. And, I forgot to mention. Inside of the Backyard Workout is the WORLD'S EASIEST DIET. If you can't follow this eating program, then you just don't want to get the most out of yourself. We've basically made a "Do Not Add To The Shopping Cart List" so that you know what you should or should not buy and you know exactly what you should or should not eat.

Ladies, you can photocopy this chart, jam it in your pocketbook and carry it everywhere you go. Fellas, you can copy this, fold it up, put it in your pants or coat pocket and just follow the chart. It's that easy.

Well, that's all for now. If you're really into fitness like I am, make sure you stop by The Strength and Conditioning King Website and pick up the Free ebook and audio files I'm giving away.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson (better known as Rufus' Dad)

P.S. Thanks in advance for your support.

Our next project is here!

2007-05-02T06:33:00.000-04:00

Rhadi and I have been working on this new project for the past several months....our newest edition....The Backyard Workout.

The Backyard Workout is an amazing mix of the "best of" Rhadi and Traci. This workout package will give you the flexibility to go at your own pace. Whether you're just starting out and want a workout that will cater to your fitness level or whether you've been working out for years and want a new challenging workout, you will be able to customize the workout to fit your needs.

Rhadi and I first came up with the idea of The Backyard Workout after we finished our first project---The Working Out with Rhadi DVD. We wanted to design a workout that could fit anyone's schedule and anyone's fitness level. The beginner workout program will take you through the basic movements and enable anyone...young or old...to complete it.

I recommend that if you are just starting out with exercise....first see your physician. Get your blood checked and make sure you're in good enough shape to start working out. Then start with the beginner workout program. If you're like Rhadi and are an Olympic level or elite athlete then by all means, start with the Advanced workout or even the Elite workout....but beware...the Elite workout can even bring a grown man to his knees, literally!

We want to give you a comprehensive workout package, with a customized workout plan, a fool-proof food plan that will dissolve the pounds away and get you in excellent shape...ready for the upcoming summer months.

So check out the Backyard Workout now and get started on your personalized workout program TODAY!

Take care,
Traci....better known as Rufus' Mom

Today is my Dad's birthday

2007-04-28T02:08:00.000-04:00

As I tap on my keyboard I feel like I'm playing a silent piano. I'm hitting the keys but there's no music playing. I guess the notes that I get from this instrument are music for my eyes and not my ears.

At any rate the steady tapping sound still soothes my soul or maybe it's the release of wanting to communicate with someone who is really not here. At times this keyboard is my solace; my consolation. When I'm on the road, away from my wife and my son its sometimes the only form of entertainment that I have. Watching television isn't fulfilling and reading, although relaxing, its not as comforting reading what someone else has said, as it is creating words from machinations. The mere appearance of words on the screen is sometimes amazing when you think about where they've actually come from.

Seconds ago, they were pre-thoughts, not even thoughts, and then they have become record. They have a true place in time. As John Madden would say, "AMMMMMMMMAAAAZING!"

Today I hopped on a plane and made my way to Chicago for a seminar. I had a 1 hour layover in Atlanta and was working non-stop. I was on the phone in the airport, to the airport and while I was in the air, I was tapping away at the keys trying to get some work done and now here I am at the end of the day, with a 5:30 am wake up call in my near future, tapping away at the keys.

And the crazy thing is - I love it. The worst part of my job, is the travel. Being away from my wife and son, is the worst. It's comforting to reach over and know my wife is there. Sometimes I do that when I'm in a hotel and I wake up for a moment to collect and gather myself to remember where I am.

I countdown the days and hours until I get back home. I can't wait to walk through the door to see Traci and Lil' Rufus and he tries to stumble his way to me, whining because my wife has beat him to me first :-) The thought of it puts a smile on my face.

I'll be back home on Sunday. This seminar goes until Monday. Somebody asked me why I'm not staying until Monday and I replied, "Rufus".

Being away from home sometimes is a necessity, but I can tell you this - Its for the birds!!

As you can tell from tonight's post, I wanna be back home with the "fam", but the road calls - and once again I've answered.

I'll be in the gym on the 10th floor in about 4 more hours, then its an all day affair and more work YAY!!! :-)

But I love it. :-)

Take it easy and remember........... All Power!!

P.S. Today is my pop's Birthday. So Happy Birthday Pop!
Feliz cumpleanos papi. Dios te bendiga.

Post-Party Recovery

2007-04-25T11:22:00.000-04:00

I'm still trying to get myself together after the wonderful but hectic weekend we had during Rufus' Birthday Bash. I was able to take off a week before the party to get all the preparations in place but come Monday the following week, I've been back to work....and work is fighting back with a vengeance. It seems that after my vacation, I'm making up for being away for so long with extra long shifts and a busier than average schedule of patients to see.

Along with work, I'm still staying active with church activities and even had time to be the Team Doctor for the Judo Senior National Championships last weekend. Traveling from home to Miami two times a day for several day took a toll on me and on the family...both Rhadi and Rufus are down for the count...napping!

Rhadi had a successful tournament in his role as coach with both of his clients winning the National title and one of his clients winning a spot on the Judo World Team! Having his clients win was success enough but Rhadi was pleasantly surprised to be presented the "Doc" Counsilman Science Award during the closing ceremonies at the National Championships. His countless hours of watching and dissecting film, developing individualized training programs for his clients, and the long hours of travel to and from practice have certainly paid off. Finally, Rhadi is receiving the recognition he deserves for his loyalty and commitment to advancing the sport of Judo nationally and internationally. I'm so proud of him....as if you couldn't tell!!

We're gearing up for a busy spring season here in South Florida with family get-togethers and with preparation for the World Judo Championships in Brazil. And I might even try to squeeze my way into traveling to Rio to support the US team. We sure could use a good vacation.

Well, I've got to go and finish filling out paperwork for Rufus' first dentist visit next week. I still can't believe that it's been over a year now and Little Rufus is not so little anymore. With his new haircut he looks like a little man....ah, he's so cute! His two front teeth are just coming in and I need to get him started on a good oral hygiene program to keep his gums and teeth healthy...because I surely don't want him to suffer with cavities at such a young age.

I'll keep you up to date on Little Rufus' first dentist visit....I'll even try to take some pictures for the special occasion!

Best regards,
Traci---Little Rufus' Mom

Today brings a new set of challenges

2007-04-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

I love spending time with my wife and my son. And I really enjoy spending time with my family. During Rufus' brithday party, we had house full (and them some) of guests.

It was bananas!! Rufus had the best time in the world and we fed the WORLD!! We had Subway party subs, 20 slabs of Ribs, 10 Whole Chickens, Turkey Wings, Beans, Peas and Rice, Pasta Salad, Regular Salad and of course....... Ice Cream and Cake.

Yesterday and today are the toughtest parts of the party ...... The Aftermath!

Now we are cleaning up. We have to call a professional carpet cleaner, we had some body fix the tiles in the floor and new someone has to come back and clean the tile and grout. Also we had to clean up the backyard, take down the decoration and fix the handle that I broke on the sliding glass doors as I was trying to put the door back on track :-/

What a job!!

I never thought that a party for a 1 year old would be soooooooooo HUGZE and so much work. But it was.

My WIFE did a wonderful job. She was planning her butt off. As you all know I was out of town in Japan with Jeff Monson getting him ready for his fight so Traci did most of the planning and I did some running around when I got back in town.

Well, my parents just left today and today my other client Taraje Williams-Murray comes in town today and this week are the National Judo Championships.

It's something - I tell ya!!

It's a constant whirlwind over here. And I just found out that I have some more stuff that I have to submit in order to get my research for my Ph. D. approved (great fun!!) :-/

I've been in school so long - it feels like my ears are dripping with nonsensical facts, figures and graphs.

That's all for now.

Thanks for hanging in there and checkin' in on the Ferugsons

Take care!!!

Rhadi

Celebrating Rufus' First Birthday---The Big Party!

2007-04-15T16:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Party Day and oh, what a wonderful time we had!

Family from Miami, West Palm Beach and even Maryland, were in attendance to celebrate Little Rufus' and Big Rufus' birthdays. Little Rufus was born on April 5, 2006 and Big Rufus will celebrate his 56th Birthday on April 28th...so in celebration I ordered a special cake with a beautiful picture of the two of them..

...together last Sunday on the way to Easter Sunday service. But that picture would be the last picture of Rufus with his full head of hair because we surprised everyone at the party with little Rufus sporting his new hair cut from his cousin Greg--

Here's Rufus with his Grandparents on his very special day! Doesn't he look like such a big boy with his new haircut?

We had more than 50 people singing "Happy Birthday" to the Birthday Boy as he got ready to dig right into his very own little birthday cake.

He didn't quite know what to do with icing on his hands...so we got him cleaned up and ready for round number 2 after the singing had ended.

The party started at 3pm yesterday and is still going on right now! I'm tucked away in the office writing this post while my in-laws entertain those who stayed over last night and those who stopped by today to wish Little Rufus a happy birthday. There's plenty of food along with ice cream left over but I'm afraid all the birthday cake is GONE!

We're all still trying to recover from the busy day with both Rufus and Rhadi down for the count...taking naps...getting ready for their next wind.

So you see, Rhadi and I had the most wonderful time with our family and friends yesterday as we spent with day and evening with the most precious gift of all....our son!

Thanks for sharing in our special day!

From Traci---better known as Rufus' mom!

Preparing for our own Golden Globe Awards

2007-04-11T18:47:00.000-04:00

This is a picture from our first "awards gala"---Rufus' Baby Dedication celebration in Maryland last fall. We had the help of both sides of our family to pull off this ceremony. And now we're gearing up for our next "awards banquet"--Rufus' first birthday party.

My husband made the comment last night when he was talking with one of his clients. He said, "You'd think we were planning for the Golden Globe Awards with all the things going on around here." And he's probably correct. From the painters who had to touch up the trim on the roof to the party supply company scheduled to deliver the tent and chairs tomorrow, everyday is full of "To Do" items that need to get done before the party kicks off on Saturday afternoon.

With all the friends and family planning to come, I'm going to have to take some preventive measures to alert my neighbors about the onslaught of people, cars and activity scheduled for Saturday. Because, we happen to live in a very quiet pseudo-retirement community with more people working now for pleasure and not for necessity. They're probably not used to seeing so many people come out for a child's first birthday party...but Rufus is something special. He's not only our first born but he's the first grandchild on both sides of the family....so whatever he does is going to be big!!

So Friday, I'm going to make my rounds around the neighborhood with little Rufus to invite all to the party and to prepare them for the celebration to come.

I'll keep you posted on the developments.

Traci....Little Rufus' mom!

I'm Back From Japan

2007-04-11T09:50:00.000-04:00

I went to Japan to "corner" for one of my friends and training partners, Jeff Monson. Jeff was a former client of mine and now we train together and he had a huge fight in Japan, which he won.

Now I'm back home and we are planning for Rufus' birthday party. His birthday was on the 5th, but his party is this weekend on the 14th. We had to plan it this way because one of my Aunts had her birthday party last weekend and I was out of town.

While in Japan I did some great stuff. I went to the Kodokan, which is a very famous judo institute where many people from around the world go to visit and train. I also went to the Tokyo Dome rode on the roller coaster and did some sightseeing. It was loads of fun.

I had to do something so I wouldn't feel like a complete loser since I wasn't home for my son's and my wife's birthday. I had to keep my mind off the fact that I missed his first birthday. And although I wasn't home for my wife's birthday, my parents were in town, so that was good.

(I don't think my parent knew how tight they were holding my son in this picture :-) )

Take care, until next time.....

Rhadi Ferguson

Celebrating Rufus' 1st Birthday!!

2007-04-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

Even after only getting two hours of sleep because I was on-call for the hospital the night before, I wouldn't let anything, let alone a few hours of sleep stop me from celebrating Rufus' first birthday in style.

Rufus and I spent the day at the Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, Florida. We were missing our main attraction---Rhadi--but he was there with us in spirit. Rhadi couldn't make the trip to the Seaquarium to celebrate Rufus' big day because he had a great opportunity to do what he does best and loves to do..... and that's train elite level and professional athletes. He left the day after his birthday for a five day trip to Japan to help train and coach Jeff Monson in his upcoming mixed martial arts fight. Although Rhadi couldn't be there to see Rufus in all his glory dig into his own little birthday cake....this was only a preview of what we have planned next week during our Ferguson Birthday Bash.

Our Ferguson Birthday Bash is setting up to be an annual family get-together celebrating Rhadi's birthday on April 3rd, Rufus' birthday on April 5th, my own birthday on April 8th and my father-in-law's (little Rufus' namesake) birthday on April 28th. We're going to turn our little quiet neighborhood into a "yardfest" for family, friends and neighbors alike to celebrate the joy of another year and giving thanks to having loving parents, family and friends who want to share in our festivities.

After 6 hours of non-stop entertainment at the Seaquarium I couldn't just close my eyes and rest from the hectic day. I had to pick up items for our church's Easter Day celebration and get things set up for next Saturday's party. On the ride back from Key Biscayne, I tried to catch a few good winks but realized I still needed to reserve the tent, table and linens for the Birthday party and needed to refer back to our monthly schedule so I know that I wouldn't miss any important dates.

So to say the least, without the schedule that we post on our office wall every month, we would probably miss half if not more of our appointments and deadlines. Organization and addressing the details help us stay on top of our daily lives and makes it possible for us to accept those sudden unexpected opportunities of a lifetime---like a trip to Japan to corner a professional MMA fighter.

So as Rufus finally winds down after a long day at the aquarium, I'm thankful that my husband was able to connect with us by phone multiple times throughout the day....for our sake and for little Rufus' sake.

We the Ferguson family look forward to many more outings and celebrations for years to come.

Thankfully,

Traci Ferguson

Happy Birthday To Me!!!! :-(

2007-04-03T06:31:00.000-04:00

Ugggghhhh, today is my birthday and I'm sick!! No, I mean I'm really sick. My head is hurting and my throat is sore. It started yesterday and I've been taking the vitamin C, the multi-vitamins, the zinc, the Airborne, the Theraflu.... EVERYTHING.

I'm just gonna have to rest today. Ghee whiz, this sux!

Well its not like I had some huge party planned for myself, quite the contrary. I was just gonna go and get a massage and relax, but I can't even to that.

But even so.......... I'm still happy and blessed to have been around for 32 years and I to make it to 33. I have a wonderful wife and family and things are going pretty good.

Rufus' birthday is in 2 days so, he'll be 1 soon. I hope I feel better then.

The "You Shoulds"

2007-04-01T23:24:00.000-04:00

This week is Rufus' birthday and my birthday. My birthday is on the 3rd and Rufus' birthday in on the 5th. This past weekend Rufus and Traci went to the park to watch a puppet show and to ride on the carousel and to play. Rufus loved it and when he got home he was dog-tired :-)

I'm super excited that Rufus is going to be 1 it has been exciting to see him grow in the past year and develop his personality. And its also funny to see some of the things that I do in him.

He's quite the energetic fellow and a very handsome dude, like his pop (ha ha).

This week is a hectic one becaue my parents will be here next week. So we gotta prepare for the onslaughts of "you shoulds"

You know, the "you shoulds"..........

You and Traci should do this....

You and Traci should do that.....

I was thinking, you know, you should.....

When you were young we did ______ with you and you should......

Blah blah blah......................

For all those with parents, you know about the "you shoulds"

So, we just get ready and prepare ourselves. I love my parents and I'd much rather have them around with their "you shoulds" than not have them around at all. :-)

On another note, Traci is finishing up her new book and I'm putting the finishing touches on the one that she and I co-wrote together "The Backyard Workout" - so this week will be busy to say the least.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson

Proud Papa

My Body is Hurting

2007-03-30T13:46:00.000-04:00

My Body is Hurting

I got a call yesterday as soon as Jeff got in from Japan that he wanted to roll later on that evening. I thought later on was 6 or 7, but he said 7:30. Knowing Jeff, I figured we'd start at 8. But nope, Jeff double-booked his photo shoot during our training time and we didn't start until 9m and didn't finish until 11pm.

I was so late that I asked my wife to come by the gym so I could at least see her and my son. So after training Jeff and I were talking and laughing and then I say, "Man I got something funny to tell you." And he replies, "Not as funny as what I have to tell you."

And I love surprises to I tell my story first in hopes that his is TRULY better than mine. What he tell sme is that he doesn't have a ride and I have to take him home. I looked out in the parking lot because I thought he was kidding. He bursts out in laughter, but I was tired and pissed, but what could I do - It's Jeff, you gotta love the guy. At any rate, he bought me dinner a Pollo Tropical so I guess we're even :-/

Jeff hung out with my son Rufus last night because he hadn't seen him in a couple of months. He commented on how big he's gotten and asked me how old he is and I told him that he'll be 1 in a couple of days. Jeff said he wanted to come to the party.

So I hope he'll be able to make it.

It's party time!

2007-03-30T00:05:00.000-04:00

Birthday party invitations have gone out and I'm in the beginning stages of planning the big birthday bash at the Ferguson household. Rufus' party is going to be the first time that many of our family members have been to our home so that means it's time for some spring cleaning!!!!

But before I begin the spring cleaning I've got to get a handle on the tornado that tears through our home on a daily basis. Rufus is just starting to take a few steps on his own but he's managed to take over our living room and create his own little play pen with our DVDs, videotapes and magazines thrown anywhere and everywhere. I've learned to accept some degree of chaos in my life and actually enjoy picking up the toys, tapes and magazines before going to bed.....it's my chance to see what Rufus has gotten into that day.

Today I actually got off work early and was able to meet Rhadi and Rufus at the park. Rufus and I took our first ride on the carousel together!! It was a beautiful day here in South Florida and I was so thankful to be able to spend it with my family at the park.

So now I'm off to make my shopping list and can't wait to keep you posted as the big day approaches.

Rufus' Mom,

Traci

P.S. I'm posting late because I just got back from watching Rhadi and Jeff Monson work out at the gym. They had a late training session and Rhadi wanted to get in a few rounds with Jeff before he leaves for Japan. Rhadi will be talking about his training session with Jeff on his blog www.thejudocrusader.com So check it out. And make sure to visit my blog "The Health and Wellness Queen" for the latest information and advice about healthy living. So take care.

Where did Rufus's Name Come From?

2007-03-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here's something that you probably didn't know about my son Rufus Alexander Ferguson.

He is named after my father - Rufus Alexander Ferguson. So he and his granddaddy have the same name.

When I told my pop that I name my son after him while I was in the delivery room, Man, he was stoked!!

I think the dude has been on a high ever since and hasn't come down. I can understand that. My son give me the same feeling.

I told you earlier that my son's birthday is on the 5th of April, mine is on the 3rd and my wife's is on the 8th, well, my dad's is on the 28th of April. I know it's wild, but that's how it is. And my son's Godmother's birthday is on the same day as my wife's birthday.

Oh, if you want to know where my son's name (well I guess my father's name) comes from it comes from the Bible.

In the book of Mark, chapter 15 and verse 21 it reads: "A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross."

So now you know.

My main man's birthday is on the 5th of April and it gonna be suuuuuhhhhweeeett!!!

My main man, Rufus......

2007-03-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

I'm not really sure why kids put EVERYthing in their mouths. Well, I do know the educational psychology reason but that's only someone's interpretation of why kids do it, we really don't know why it is that they really do it. But there's seems to be a link between that and the endless eating that they do! :-)

I think my son eats as much as I do now.

All that being said, you can see that he's quite the handsome fellow (taking after his good ole pop) :-) and he's VERY energetic. He seems to be at his peak right when I'm super tired.

At any rate, his birthday is coming up in the next couple of days and I'm stoked. He's going to be 1 year old. That means he'll be talking back and telling me how dumb I am in no time at all :-)

We just mailed out the invitations to his birthday party this past weekend and we're going to have a humongous party.

I'll tell you all about it when it goes down, believe me.

We'll that's it for today, I just got back from Yanik Silver's Internet Marketing Seminar, it was great. I learned a couple of new things to add to my pocket full of tricks.

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson