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 1 of 12)   
« Prev
  
1
  2  3  4  5  Next »

 Articles by this Author


If there is one party that I do without fail during Miami Carnival it is the ValeVibe Breakfast fete, affectionately known as, “Vale.”  I do Vale every year because Vale never disappoints and this year was no different.

During Orlando Carnival there is one fete that you should never miss and that fete is… The ILan All Inclusive Fete.

Positioned against the beautiful landscape of Rollins College right next to Virginia Lake, the iLan fete is located in an atmosphere that looks like it was plucked out of Trinidad and dropped into the middle of Florida.

How To Get The Small Island Experience In A Big Way... Through A Luxury Soca Experience

Did you know that the British Virgin Islands, also known as the BVI consists of islands, bays and cays which make up an are called the British West Indies?

Some of the most famous parts of the BVI are Tortola, Jost van Dyke and Virgin Gorda.  The islands and beaches of the BVI are pristine and a thing of beauty. If you have never visited, partied or experienced the BVI then you are missing one of the treasures of the Caribbean.  

It’s no understatement when people say that there is really no place that is quite like the BVI. It’s true. 

CARIBBEAN YACHT WEEK...... A Luxury Soca Vacation!

Imagine an eight day and seven night experience with your friends on a luxury yacht with soca music playing in your ears, the sweet smell of salt water aromatically filling the air and comforts of a 5 star hotel with personal chef service at your fingertips.  

Then imagine a loosely structured, non-mandatory but fully accessible schedule of activities such as swimming, snorkeling, shopping and partying the night away while island hopping throughout the British Virgin Islands.  

Each yacht is staffed by an expert boat captain and a gourmet chef to provide catered meals during your stay. And what’s a week of soca, fetting and dining without a fully stocked bar?  So yes, your yacht has a fully stocked bar as well. 

All the details throughout the week are handled for you.

Now this sound like something that I’m interested in.

So...... 2018 is coming to a close and many of you have had a time. Here’s what you’ve done.

You’ve fetted.
You’ve partied.
You’ve limed.
You’ve danced.
You’ve jumped up.
You’ve waved.
You’ve Wined down.
You’ve “Wet it up.”
You’ve followed the “mass ova deh.” 
And you’ve done everything in between. 

You’ve thrown mud, paint, powder and a lot of your money away and guess what?
You had ah time so it’s all good.

But as 2018 comes to a close and we look upon 2019 we have to make the same decisions that we make every year. These decisions are.....

For the second year in a row I was blown away, amazed and more than pleased with this fete. As I do all fetes that I review, I walked around and viewed the signage, the food stations, the bar serving process and the bathrooms.  And just like last year the ILan fete met my expectations and surpassed them.

Miami, FL - July 4, 2017 - The fireworks started early in South Florida. And you knew this if you experienced the titillating rhythms, subtle drumbeats present in the interstices of silence, the hard hitting bass, syncopated melodies, the oh-so-sweet sound of soca and the hypnotic cyclical sounds of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) at Electric Karnival in the historic Virginia Key section of south Florida at Virginia Key Beach Park on the 3rd of July.

The bubbling, wining and waving was married with bouncing, jumping, and fist pumping as the genres and communities of EDM and Soca were blended in an official capacity in a festival for the first time ever. The promoters, DJs, performers and attendees had an opportunity to be a part of history as Electric Karnival superseded all expectations Monday night.

In the EDM community there is a motto which they live by and support and that is one of "PLUR."  It stands for PEACE, LOVE, UNITY and RESPECT.  And for me, July 3rd cannot come fast enough. I cannot wait to jump up and experience another "Karnival" for the year and share some good vibes with good people.

Electric Karnival is ~not a fete or a party~. It is a music festival, an experience, a life event created by Caribbean people for Caribbean people in order to enhance and improve our culture and promote diversity.   It was also created for YOU. Because Electric Karnival is We.  And we are more than rum, road, soca and fetes. We are a movement. We are ELECTRIC.

If you've jammed to Machel's "Waiting On The Stage" or Major Lazer's "Soung Bang" featuring Machel, then you have been jammin' to the hybrid fusion of Soca and EDM that we call Caribbean Dance Music (CDM) which is literally doing one of the best things that we can do right now in life... And that's not blend genres of music, but that's blend different groups of people. And I love how music brings us all together.
No popular authors found.
No popular articles found.