Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor

RHADI FERGUSON, PHD, M.A.T., B.S.M.E.
AUTHOR – TEACHER – MENTOR - COACH

Dr. Rhadi Ferguson is a Bahamian-American, a 2004 Olympian in the sport of Judo, an author, speaker, former mixed martial arts professional fighter and an award winning judo coach. He is professionally called “The Intellectual Warrior” due to his academic approach as a strategist and tactician. He further staples down this moniker by having served as an Adjunct Professor in the sports science department of the University of Central Florida and also as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Currently Dr. Ferguson serves as an editorial reviewer for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research as well as the Theories and Applications International Edition Journal.

Dr. Ferguson has been featured on major networks such as Yahoo!, NBC, ESPN and in print media such as UFC Fit Magazine, Ultimate Grappling Magazine and he is a writer for the professional blog ProMMANow.com which is syndicated by the USA Today. Dr. Ferguson has also been published in peer reviewed journals and his motivational speaking and coaching advice can be easily found on his internet show “Coffee With Rhadi” which is a spinoff from his book “Coffee with Rhadi: Herculean Conversations with an Olympian (and some other things that you think about from time to time...)” which can be found with the rest of his publications on www.Amazon.com

After growing up in Miami, Florida and experiencing the Goombay Festivals in Coconut Grove during his youth, Dr. Ferguson got bit by the "Carnival" bug in 2011 at Miami Carnival and has been hooked ever since. Since then he has been a regular at Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago and many other carnivals such as Miami, Tampa, Palm Beach, and Orlando. Dr. Ferguson believes in attending the "big" carnival as well as the small ones, as the small ones provide a great training ground for the newbies and neophytes to carnival.

In 2014, Dr. Ferguson wrote one of the best selling books on preparing for carnival called "The Ultimate Road Ready Guide: PACE! What Every Carnival Veteran And Carnival Virgins Must." Dr. Ferguson today has been heralded as "The Carnival Doctor" by TriniJungleJuice and by many others around the world by his ability to prepare for carnival and create the best experience possible for masqueraders and revelers.

In 2013 Dr. Ferguson was selected as 1 of the top 100 Mixed Martial Arts trainers in the world by UFC Fit Magazine. In 2006 he was awarded the USA Judo Coach of the Year Award and that same year he was nominated for the top sports science award issued by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the Doc Councilman Award. Dr. Ferguson also served as the Athlete Advisory Council representative for USA Judo and the USOC.

Dr. Ferguson has also served as the Head Coach for the Bahamas Judo Federation where he has coached at the World Judo Championships, the Cadet World Championships and had the privilege of developing the first Olympian in the sport of Judo in the Bahamas during his time as Head Coach.

Professionally, Dr. Ferguson holds a black belt in Judo. He also holds a 2nd Degree black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu which is a background that very few martial artists can proclaim. Dr. Ferguson also holds a doctorate and masters degree in area of education and currently runs, teaches and operates his own dojo in Tampa, Florida where he coaches, teaches and mentors practitioners at the grassroots level of the art and sport who have been successful on the state and national levels.

At the end of the day, Dr. Ferguson likes to say that he is “…just a coach and a mentor – nothing more, nothing less.” But the truth is, he is a highly sought out and recognized High Performance Enhancement Specialist centered in education, business, carnival and sport. Utilizing his proven background as an Olympian and lecturing motivator to course corrects systems, create, modify and engineer curriculum initiatives and construct strategic framework toward improving performance and elevating desired outcomes.

Dr. Ferguson resides in Tampa, Florida with his wife of 12 years, Traci Ferguson, MD and their two children. Their son Rufus (8) and daughter Rhadi Isabelle (4).
(Page 5 of 12)   « Prev  3  4  
5
  6  7  Next »

 Articles by this Author

*** Do Not Get Weary In Your Well Doing!!! ***

The life of a fetter is hard. The life of a carnival veteran is difficult.

Look, I know it and you know it.

We spend our time taking care of others and making things like acquiring tickets and getting access into parties, fetes and limes look easy. We also make the process of getting into bands and registered for them look easy as well. 

So much so that people don't realize that it is years and years of experience, networking, money spent, cultivating relationships and mistakes.... costly mistakes, which allow us to do the things that we do - And help the way that we help.

There's no worse feeling that going out of your way to help others or having virgins or newbies cause extra steps in the process because they stick and get off pace. They just don't understand. 
There are few things that I regret in life or wish that I could do differently, but this is one of them.

The Carnival Doctor wears many hats, one of them is the hat of Professor. So, I teach the students who attend classes at the university level.  And I do believe that the children are our future and we should teach them well and let them lead the way. I believe in all of that. 

I also believe that a cup's value is in its opportunity to be filled and to allow the contents to be poured elsewhere. And with that being said, I also believe in fetting so that I can be emotionally and spiritually replenished for work and my regular activities. 

With all of that said........

As Miami Carnival ramped up and got into full swing many people were wondering, "Where is Machel?"

It was almost unfathomable to think that the largest carnival in North America and one of the largest cities in the world which happens to also be a yearly carnival hot spot would not be graced by the presence of the largest and most prominent figure in soca music.  From what I understood, it was almost unprecedented for a Soca Monarch Winner to not attend Miami Carnival in recent history.

With that being said, I do know that there were many veterans who were hyping up the presence of Machel in Miami only to have to let their newbies know that Machel didn't show.

As a member of the media, I have every right to be critical of Machel's lack of presence at Miami Carnival. As a carnival goer I have every right to feel like I've been robbed of my full fetting experience because I was not able to see Machel perform live during carnival.  
IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRIP AND ACT A FOOL BECAUSE SOMEONE IS WINING ON YOUR MAN OR YOUR WOMAN AT CARNIVAL THEN STAY HOME!!!!!!

THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE!!

When you want to fete or lime as a single parent the first thing that you think about is coverage.  Yes, coverage.  You want to know if you are going to be able to get someone to watch  your kid while you hang out. And you have to be aware of how much you are going to need this person in the future and you don't want to ask too often and wear out your welcome.  Because here are the usual options:

1. You pay for a babysitter/Nannie
2. You have friend who watches your child sometimes and you watch hers at times
3. Your parents watch the child/children while you go out but you ALWAYS have to deal with the possibility of getting "that look" upon the pickup of the child
4. You can ask the father to watch the child while you hangout (which is usually NOT an option at all)

Now, all of these options have to be put into place solidly BEFORE you say that you can or cannot go to a fete or carnival. This is such a hurdle for attending carnival and if not, it is one for attending carnivals back to back to back. Especially if your little one(s) is/are young.

I have literally heard people cry over the phone because they will miss Miami Carnival after missing Trinidad Carnival in the same year because they do not have anyone to watch their child.  It is rough and it is one issue for which I have only one solution.

==============
Here's My Solution
==============
=================================
This Message Has Been Brought
To You By The ONLY Book Endorsed
By TriniJungleJuice and MyCarnivalBands
www.TheUltimateRoadReadyGuide.com
=================================​

Look, it doesn’t matter if you are a Carnival Virgin  or a Carnival Veteran, there is so much to learn about Carnival and many ways to improve your experience and make your experience richer than before.

So here’s what we are going to do.

We are going to provide you with some tips from one of our in-house Carnival Specialist – Dr. Rhadi Ferguson, also known as the “Carnival Doctor”.   Dr. Ferguson is a 2004 Olympian, a former National Judo Coach for the Bahamas Judo Federation, a bona-fide carnival junkie and the man that has written the go-to guide for all carnival virgins on the planet on the best way to prepare for carnival.

So without any further adieu, lets begin.
In a perfect world. Most of us would travel, fete, do carnivals and have most road experiences on Saturday so that we can make our way into church on Sunday for the FULL spiritual experience of carnival.  But traveling is limited via budget constraints and responsibilities.  For some of us, fetting is limited per babysitting coverage and having a good fete to go to.  And for others, doing carnival is a matter of money, resources and time. 

No matter what the hurdle, we all have our challenges. We all overcome them in some form or fashion but none of us can lie..... We've all missed a fete, a carnival or a quality soca experience because "real life" got in the way. 

There are few scenarios that I have watched happen during my carnival experiences in speaking with various carnival veterans and carnival virgins.  I have also experienced some of them myself and would like to address them, the hurdles which they present and some possible solutions. 

So here we go.
So here's the message that I got in my inbox:

"TCD can you please speak to personal hygiene when on the road and while fetting.  My friend and I were at a fete and this one dude was so funky that we couldn't believe it. I'm not even sure that he knew it. He was so well dressed and kinda handsome but my goodness, he was so funky."

- Kay S.


It seems like fete and road hygiene is an issue from the inbox messages that I've been receiving so I ga address it right now.

I would like to apologize in advance if this offends anybody but, this has to be addressed. And I'm not going to mince any words because I feel very strongly about personal hygiene and let's keep it real.... We are all grown.

We all know standard fete and road etiquette. We know if you want to pass by somebody, you give a lil tap on the shoulder on the hip, say pardon me or excuse me when appropriate and make your way through the crowd. We know if you don't want to wine, that you can just take a step forward or give a 2 second wine with a back way "bump off" and that is enough for a person to know that this dance is now done.

I mean, we all know some of the unwritten and written rules of fetting. 

But let's talk about hygiene and the imperatives.
TRIBE Band Launch is Done.

St. Lucia Carnival is Done.

And now many are looking at the
FEATURED EVENTS listing and asking themselves, "What's next?"

For many, that answer is CROPOVER!!

As one of the MAJOR locations on the World Carnival Calendar, Cropover is the highlight for many revellers across the globe.

Therefore, it is the job of The Carnival Doctor to make sure that you are armed with the correct information, especially if you are a carnival virgin. 

The key with carnival virgins is to make sure they are not overwhelmed. If you are a carnival veteran, you may find this information somewhat redundant, a little bit helpful, but most importantly worthy of passing on to a fellow carnival virgin so that you can have a conversation about what to do and where to start as it relates and pertains to Cropover.

So with that being said.... Let's begin!

The Tribe Band Launch Is Done.

St. Lucia Carnival is Done.

And now many are looking at the
FEATURED EVENTS listing and asking themselves, "What's next?"

Well, there are many options but one of them is not even a carnival BUT it should be on your "Carnival Bucket List." And just to let you know how serious it is, think about this.  It is NOT a carnival but it has been covered by TriniJungleJuice on several occasions. And as authorities on all things carnival, when TJJ covers something that is on an island and is NOT a carnival, that is reason enough to at least take a look at it. 

Therefore....................

As  carnival revellers of the world prepare for Caribana and Barbados, there are some who are making a different choice this year and looking forward to experiencing something different. 

Some are looking at Cup Match in Bermuda. 
No popular authors found.
No popular articles found.