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).
Articles by this Author
Carnival Tip #19 - Get Yourself In A Good Position Early | Pace
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 20-Apr-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
- Unrated
Get Yourself Into A Good Position Now.
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A Friendly Piece
of Advice
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Just like in a race, you will want to jockey for a good position before the race even starts. This will help you for sure. Carnival veterans don't mind helping you but NOW is the time to start asking for help, not when they are trying to get in their last jump for the year in Miami or during Labor Day or when they are preparing for Cropover.
Now is the time to ask for advice and to let them know you are serious.
Carnival Tabanca: For Those Of Us That Did Not Do Bacchanal Jamaica - The Struggle Is Real
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 16-Apr-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
- Unrated
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"The Feeling".....
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It is the feeling that I've never had to experience before because I always go to TNT, so I'm never in that crew or group of people that are sad, jealous, vex and happy-for-you-but-pissed-off at the same damn time.
I found myself doing what my friends that aren't able to make it to Trinidad do with respect to Bacchanal Jamaica. I started running from the TriniJungleJuice Facebook page and website because I didn't want to see the pictures. I disconnected myself from social media outlets. I started trying to listen to different types of music instead of soca. (I said, I tried. I was unsuccessful because nothing helps you get through a workout like soca!)
I was literally trying to run and hide because I didn't want to hear anyone ask me the dreaded question one more time, "Dred, you in Jamaica dis year?"
The Carnival Doctor TNT 2015 Recap - Part 6 of 6 - "Carnival, The Fantasy, Real Life and Damage Control At Home"
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 25-Mar-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
- Unrated
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Carnival is an escape from real life. It's a time where we can run away literally and virtually and be free. And then we can put on our favorite song or mix and close our eyes and zone out and be right back on the road or in the fete with our friends. It allows us to escape. To run away. To make a way to live in the real by holding on to the dream.
There would be nothing greater than if we as a community of soca lovers could get together, once a month and meet on the road, behind a truck, with drinks flowing and dance until our feet hurt and our spirits are emptied from hate and filled with joy. Carnival is such a beautiful time that the better time you have, the worse the tabanca experience is.
Have You Ever Had A Roadgasm?
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 24-Mar-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
- Unrated
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A ROADGASM? New Trini Jungle Juice Term - Carnival RoadgasmDefinition - A carnival roadgasm is defined as an euphoric experience that occurs on the road while playing mas. It can be triggered by a song, by pain in the foot (which sometimes bring about this feeling of euphoria) or by wining on a bumper. More often than not, this feeling is heightened and brought to its climax in the evening hours on the ...
Bacchanal Jamaica And Why You Should Do The Double
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 12-Mar-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
- Unrated
So here's the question....
If you could get doggone near the same vibes, similar fetes, have a great time, go to a superb island, play mas, and spend less money.... Would you do it?
Well, if the answer is yes, then you have probably entertained going to Jamaica Carnival, Cayman Islands Carnival, Cropover and and a few others. But right now we want to talk about Bacchanal Jamaica and..... those that want to #DoTheDouble
So Let's Begin!!!!
The Carnival Doctor TNT 2015 Recap - Part 5 of 6 - "Jouvert" | Dirty Dozens Jouvert
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 08-Mar-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
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For me, the best day in TNT is Monday but that’s because I just love, love, love Jouvert. And you have to realize that some people live for Jouvert and to them it is more important than the road on Tuesday. This is not the case for me. I love Monday and it is my favorite day, bar none, BUT, I am in TNT for Tuesday. Please believe that!! I love Monday because i get to do it all in one day. I start Jouvert early in the morning at about 3am all the way until around 9am and then I go back to my residence, shower, eat and get on the road to play Monday Mas and I don't get back to the room until about 10pm. I love the grind. I just love it. I actually enjoy that feeling when my legs are a little bit sore on Tuesday and somewhat tired. I like it. It really doesn't concern me because I do a 1/2 marathon before carnival and I train for 12 weeks to prep for TNT. As a former athlete, I know I'm going to be fine and just look at the aching as a welcoming hug from my body with a message that is interpreted as, "Ahhhhh, I'm glad you're back. We've missed you."
The Carnival Doctor TNT 2015 Recap - Part 4 of 6 - "The Brian Lara Fete" - The Greatest Fete Ever
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 02-Mar-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
- Unrated
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After the Vale Breakfast Fete, I was able to run around and meet with Safiya Davy who handled most of my carnival needs through her service Sauce Concierge. I was able to pick up my Jouvert particulars because the jouvert band that I played with Dirty Dozens Jouvert had a costume/bag pickup time change. Thank goodness that I had a system in place so that such adjustments could be made with ease, otherwise, I would have had to run around and secure my own things and change up my schedule and my ability to rest and/or fete.
So, even though some people see concierge services as expensive, I see them as handy and useful. Especially if you get in on Friday instead of Tuesday in terms of your travel and your fete time is tight. The last thing that you want to do is run around Port of Spain, picking up your costume and jouvert particulars, waiting in lines and catching cabs. You could be at a fete, on the way to a fete or resting. And that in and of itself has a price and that price I'm more than willing to pay. Peace of mind is a great thing.
I love Safiya Davy and SAUCE Concierge Services.
The Carnival Doctor TNT 2015 Recap - Part 3 of 6 - "D'Original Vale Breakfast Fete" - De Vybz Cyah Done
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 27-Feb-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
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Rating:
When you go to Vale you can actually see the evolution of a fete. You can see the romantic foreplay of the fete. The major selling point with Vale is what Vale calls, "The Vale Vibe." I'm not sure if I could do this justice by explaining it but its like the feeling that you get when you step under the jets of a pulsating shower and it hits your back and massages you. Or that feeling that you get when you finally ease your whole body into a jacuzzi. That is was Vale feels like the whole time.
It's just.....
That's it....
It's a SOUL MASSAGE.
Vale massages your soul.
The Carnival Doctor TNT 2015 Recap - Part 2 of 6 - "Soca Brainwash: The Festival of Love"
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 25-Feb-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
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After Ambush....
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After AMbush was over.... I got back on that damn fete-a-thon and kept wining until like 11 am.
Wait, please allow me to mention that the fete-a-thon bus with Candy Coated started at 11pm. We arrived at AMBush at 2:30. We partied until 10 am, we ate, we played on water slides, we limed and THEN got back on the fete-a-thon bus and partied all the way back to Port of Spain.
It was bananas.
By the time I got back to my domicile it was about 12 noon and then I had to take a fresh and then ready myself for Soca Brainwash.
I had NO SLEEP and was ready to do another 6 hours….. LIKE A BOSS!!!
Soca Brainwash is a quality fete. High quality.
The Carnival Doctor TNT 2015 Recap - Part 1 of 6 - "Make Love In The Bush"
- By Dr. Rhadi Ferguson aka The Carnival Doctor
- Published 23-Feb-15
- Prescription from The Carnival Doctor
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Rating:
As usual, on Tuesday night on the road, I cried. I was having such a fantastic time and I was enjoying myself and I looked at my friends on the road and all of the people in my crew and extended crew and just got so overwhelmed with joy.
I turned to my main man Winston and put my hand over my heart and screamed over the music, "I love you bro!" He responded, "I love you too" and that was it for me. I broke down so bad that I had to go on the sidewalk on the side of the road and put my hands on my knees and let it all out. Unknowingly, my friend Khalilah followed me and witnessed my moment when I was trying to hide. That certainly was not how I planned my emotional breakdown moment LOL.
I really, really miss my man Edgar Ter-Oganessian. We called him "T.O." Every time I do carnival, I wish he was doing it with me. He would have had a ball. He passed away in 2012 of cancer and every carnival as I celebrate life, I celebrate his. I loved him. He was a good dude man, a really quality dude. And when I try to get my friends to come to carnival and they are apprehensive, I'm like, you are MISSING an opportunity that we will never get again. But...... what can you do. Every man has to pour his own trouble. And I pour mine and drink it willingly.
Sooooo, here it goes.......
