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

Recently I received an email from a Judo player who wrote:

“I spoke to someone at last year’s National Judo Championships and they told me that you actually told them something right before they fought that immediately changed the way that they do judo and helped them win the match. They said that you improved their judo game in a matter of 5 minutes. I just don’t believe this is possible. Can you really improve someone’s judo in 5 minutes.”

What a great question.

The answer is No.  I cannot improve anyone’s judo in 5 minutes, but I can help you win a judo match or play better judo in 5 minutes.

Case in point.

If you were taking a test and you peeked on the person’s paper next to you and improved your test score and received a better grade, you didn’t immediately get smarter, nor did you immediately receive some magical bump or increase in intelligence.  But you did or could possibly have done better on your quiz or test and thus received a better grade.

I am not advocating cheating here, my point is that there is a quick way to see a marked improvement in performance without an increase in knowledge or intellect.

Now the SMART people who do this or get this quick bump USUALLY go back and STUDY and find out how to achieve the proper outcome through the appropriate means and measures.

Now here’s my point…..

=============
There are QUICK
Fixes in Judo
=============

Unfortunately, when you are in the middle of a tournament between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, you don’t have the freaking time to practice 50 thousands uchikomi to get a move right. What you need as that particular instance is some quality advice, a sound and doable strategic and tactical tweak and a keen eye from a coach who understands how to get you from A to Z QUICKLY.

The player that I’m talking about above is none other than Brian Picklo.

Brian Picklo NEVER won a national championship in his life.

He asked me some questions before a match at National and qualified for the Olympic Trials.  He also asked his coached some questions. Unfortunately his coach, who gave his some great advice, left out a small piece of the puzzle in terms of gripping and hand placement on an otherwise SUPER sound strategy which could have cost Brian the match.  This was worth its weight in gold as Brian qualified for the trials.

As a smart judo player, Brian packed up and moved into my home in order to prepare for the Olympic Trials.

A man who never won a National Championship, trained with me for two days and won a Bronze medal at the Pan American Championships and then went to the Olympic Trials and won the mini tournament (which means he beat EVERYONE in the weight class who were previous Naitonal Champions) and then fought the eventual number one seed in a controversial 2 out of 3 playoff which some say was one of the worst atrocities in recent American Judo.  Might I add. Brian Picklo was the ONLY number 8th seed, the last seeded person of the day, to win the mini-tournament and make it to the 2 out of 3 playoff.

This is unheard of.

Was this because of me.

No. Of course not.  I was not BECAUSE OF ME.  It was because of Brian. I don’t fight any of the matches.

However, it was BECAUSE Brian understood the benefit of peeking at the appropriate piece of paper in order to get some quick answer to fix his situation and then was intelligent enough to come to the source to study to look at the philosophy behind the fix.

That all a seminar is.

==============
Seminars, DVDs,
Audio CDs, Books
==============

That is really all that CDs, Audio Downloads, Books, DVDs, and Seminars are.

They are great opportunities for you to pick up on something that will improve your judo game quickly.

If you can pick up one or two things that can or will improve the outcome of your match, increase your throwing percentage, up your submission rate or allow you to become a better teacher than that is worth it.

Now I UNDERSTAND that’s what these things are – this is why I actually TEACH and INSTRUCT inside of my products.

This is ALSO why my products and seminar are a little bit longer than most and why they are priced accordingly. Because I want you to have the answer. I want you to improve quickly, but I want the improve to really reflect your core knowledge and ability.

Belive me when I tell you that I have “peeked” on the papers of quite of few judo players. I’ve traveled internationally and have attended some practices with the intent to not practice but to just sit down and take notes so that I KNOW the reason why things are done the way they are done.

This is why top level fighters come to me and this is why the Bahamian Judo Federation flew my family and I to the Bahamas to create their elite level judo program, to teach the first judo class in inside of the public school system and to actually teach and coach their coaches which included former members of the Cuban National Team.

It’s because I really can help improve your judo game in 5 minutes. But I know that in doing that you still need to learn why you were able to do that so that you can do it again.

A solution is only a good one if it is “repeatable and teachable”. Meaning if you can’t repeat it and get the same outcome or teach it to someone else so that they get the same outcome then it is a waste of time.  You just peeked on the paper and walked away just as dumb.

This doesn’t improve judo. Now it will improve your WINNING PERCENTAGE  (*SMILE*)

This is why, the acquiring of knowledge is so important.  Because judo, like business has long term goals and short term goals.

At the Olympic Trials when you see coaches in the hallway with balled up sheets of paper in one hand with a bunch of scribbled notes, running around to find a gi top so that they can “fix” something with their players in between rounds, its because there is a short term fix that must be implemented RIGHT NOW in order for success to ensue.

Right now you aren’t privy to those behind-the-scenes conversations nor that type of knowledge. That’s what I want you to have, but I also want you to understand where that “fix” comes from so that you can pass it on to someone else.

============
Your Uchimate
is useless
============

Overwhelming strength, a good plan and solid strategy will render a technically sound Uchimata USELESS!!

This is the difference at the higher judo levels – especially on the male side where strength is a huge differentiating factor. The super super superb techinicians aren’t pulling off their techniques just because they are technically sound. They are pulling them off because they are technically sound, super strong and in good shape. If you are just technically sound and your opponent has just ‘okay’ technique, but is in better shape and stronger – one of you, my friend, are in for a LONG day – and its not gonna be a good one.

Unless, you know the secrets.

That’s right, unless you know the information that is being exchanged in the hallways of the Olympic, the Olympic Trials or the “tweaks and changes” that are made in the coaches chair and why they are made. If you don’t know that, well, then you are going to be at a disadvantage.

With that being said.

I really want to let you know that when it comes to improving at Judo I feel STRONGLY about helping others improve greatly.

So much so that I have decided to re-release the following products and make them available again for my 2008 Pumpkin S@le  (I told you before that my family doesn’t do the Halloween thing, so I’m having a Pumpkin S@le)

The products are:

Underground Gripfighting Secrets
Judo Success Secrets
Judo Scouting Report Success System
Grip To Win Audio CD Set

If you want to improve your judo game so fast THAT IT’LL MAKE YOUR FRIENDS head spin, then jump on these products immediately.

Yes, you can CATAPULT your way to the top.

Yes you can BEAT PEOPLE that you have no business beating

And YES YOU CAN learn how to out-coach someone in the coaching chair.

Judo is not about TECHNIQUE anymore its about knowing more specialized information so that you can create greater opportunities for success.

If you don’t believe that then, I can’t help you.

If you are walking around with your eyes closed and getting upset with the people who can see then don’t speak bad about the people who enjoy seeing…. Just open up your eyes. There a whole world of new possibilities awaiting you if you just “take a peek”.

Sincerely,

Rhadi Ferguson

P.S. 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson and 2008 & 2004 Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray are coming to New Yorkk and 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
>>>> http://www.rhadi.com/Nov9Seminar/

The Seminar in New York is on the 8th of November
>>>> 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

I was reading my friend Matt Marcinek’s page and I had to reply to something that he wrote. He is absolutely an awe-inspiring individual. I highly recommend stopping by his blog it is informative, funny at times and just a damn good read.  –> http://mmarcinek.wordpress.com/ <–

I was doing some research tonight and I came across an article about a young man named Brian Hausburg. Brian is a wrestler who recently won the Northern California Sportsmanship of the year award, Brian also has cerebral palsy just like me.

(You can read the article and watch some video of Brian here: www.modestowrestlingacademy.com/brianh.html)

I need to be very careful as I write this so not as to diminish anything that Brian has accomplished because I certainly don’t want to do that, but as I  was reading the all the wonderful things that the coaches, refs, and fellow wrestlers had to say about him I found my eyes going back to one phrase over and over “even though he never won a match.” Seven words that I am very familiar with  because usually they are associated with my name maybe not in that order or that in exact form, but their there. Typically it goes something like this “it  doesn’t  matter  if you  win, the  only thing that matters  is that  you had fun”

Right.

The only reason that people say that it doesn’t matter is because it doesn’t matter….to them. To people on the outside, people who don’t see me train everyday and understand how much I put into and love this sport, it doesn’t matter. They just see a kid who shows up to tournaments, loses, and then goes home but hey, no big deal cause he’s in a wheelchair, gotta give him credit for trying. What people don’t see is how bad I feel after a loss. What they don’t seem to understand is that, even though i’m in a wheelchair, I’m a competitor who hates to lose more than anything.

Rhadi Ferguson, 2004  olympian 4x  national Judo champion  and  BJJ  blackbelt,  is a friend  of mine. On their DVD, Beyond the rings, http://www.beyondtherings.com He and 2008 Olympian Taraje Williams Murray discuss the journey that one has to take to make the Olympics and  one of the  last things that Rhadi  says as the  DVD  comes  to  a close  is.. “at  the end  of the day there  is only  one question, Did  you win  or did  you lose? Bottom line”  so my  question  is  why  is  this  acceptable  for  every other  athlete  and not me?, Why does everyone act like my CP is some built in excuse for my poor performance?” Because I don’t.

yeah, I’m in a wheelchair, yeah some days its rough,  but that doesn’t mean that I  go out on the mat and accept losing. its funny, I watched those videos of Brian wrestling and while most people would watch and feel inspired by his determination and courage, I felt an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if that was what I looked like when i was out on the mat.

You see, I’ve never saw myself as “looking” disabled. I know that I move a little differently when I’m on the mat but still when I see it, I’m surprised. Hell, theres times i catch a glimpse of myself sitting in my chair and think “thats what i look like in this thing?” because I never see myself as disabled which is why winning is so important to me, because I see myself as just another athlete.

My friend Rohan Murphy, a double amputee who wrestled at Penn State once told me ” once you start winning, all that inspiration talk goes right out the window, and you become just a wrestler”

I cant wait for that day to come.
Tagged with: Misc
« 09 October 08 Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
11 October 08 Open Mat/ Gracie NEPA Judo »
No Responses to ‘Confessions of a Disabled Grappler.’

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to ‘Confessions of a Disabled Grappler.’.

1.
Rhadi Ferguson said, on October 28th, 2008 at 12:41 am

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

It’ll come bro. Remember every loss is essentially a step closer to victory. In church this past sunday that preacher was talking about going up “the rough side of the mountain”. He was joking about when he was a kid, the ole folks would always sing, “I’m going up the rough side of the mountain.” He joked and said, “I don’t wanna go up the rough side, I wanna go up the smooth side.” Then he thought about it.

If the mountain was SMOOTH you wouldn’t be able to climb it. The rough parts of the the climb to success are necessary for you to be able to grab a hold of success. So grab a hold of your losses and reach out and accept the next one as it comes because all you are simply doing bro. is climbing up the “rough side” of the mountain.

Keep Climbing bro.

Your Friend,

Rhadi “The Judo Crusader” Ferguson

I just had to reply to Matt to let him know to keep his head up.

We all need this sometimes.  I know I do.

-=-=-=-=-==-=-
Introduction
-=-==-=-=-=-=-

Many of you know and some of you don’t that I’m having a seminar in November along with Taraje Williams-Murray.

One in New York and one in New Jersey.

I am keeping these seminars small and private because I want everyone to leave enriched and I don’t want anyone to leave without getting everything that I have to give.

I truly have found that teaching in small groups works better than teaching in large ones when the information is rich and truly dense.

Also I have some special things that I want to share when it comes to applying submissions in judo and capitalizing on transitions in terms of transitioning from standing to the mat.

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

>>>> http://www.rhadi.com/Nov9Seminar/

The Seminar in New York is on the 8th of November

>>>> 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

Thanks,
Rhadi Ferguson

-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-
INTRODUCTION
-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-

I can remember vividly when I started the sport of judo. It was at an after school program at Oak Grove Elementary School in Miami, Florida.

I remember my first class. I showed up in a pair of shorts and a shirt and I was super excited to do “karate”. That’s right, “karate”, because EVERY kid thinks that judo is something like Karate when they start. I know I did.

Well, I learned how to roll, how to fall, and I received my first gi a couple of classes later. I WAS STOKED!!!! Excited wasn’t the word. I was happier than a pig in slop.

I started out with the classic Osoto Gari, Ouchi Gari, etc.,. and then moved to the other throws and for newaza I basically learned “beginning” wrestling.

I can tell you why this is so fresh in my mind. It’s because I see the same thing on occasion from other students who begin the sport of judo.

As practitioners, coaches and scholars of the sport, it is our goal and charge to make sure that all judoka are competent or that they have reached some level of competency so that they can “officially” say that they know judo.

That means that we have to teach them how to move (tai sabaki, tsugi ashi, all forms of ashi sabaki), how to throw (principles of kuzushi, physics, leverage), how to be respectful of others (the elementary concepts of uke and tori) and when to use judo and not to use it and so much more.

And although these things are important and they are the base that creates the foundation for our athletes to grow. The question still remains….. “How can we move our athletes from competence to excellence?””

=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-
How Do We Move From
Competence To Excellence
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Here’s how…

First we must CREATE A CULTURE OF LEARNING..

Right now in judo we have created a culture of Learning (only from the people that we think know something based upon our personal belief system).

We think that a medalist knows more than a non-medalist or that one person knows more than another one because they’ve coached someone to greatness, when the fact of the matter is this. Each of us knows something that the other doesn’t. We just have to create a culture of learning and not a culture of not wanting to learn in order to for us to grow.

Second we must CREATE A CULTURE OF SOWING..

That’s right. Many times we look at sowing as just being on the receiving end of someone else’s giving when quite honestly sowing means that you have to plant a seed. A real seed, a monetary seed so that the sport, itself can continue to grow. Judo, is a market. It is a marketplace. It is only overvalued, valued and/or undervalued based upon the value that you put on it and its practitioners, coaches, instructors and administrators. BJJ charges more than judo and they have a wider depth and breadth of technical instruction than judo. Why? Well, the instructors value education, they travel and the value of the marketplace allows them to continue to enhance their education. This is something that we must do in judo. It’s wild that we will pay $49.95 to watch the UFC on television but not to watch a judo tournament. I go to judo tournaments all the time, when I don’t have any players competing and I buy a hot dog or something and just give it to a kid, even though I don’t eat that stuff because you have to make your money move in these circles or the sport will die.

Third we must SET UP INFORMATION FUNNELS AND FILTERS..

Right now there is no centralized location where we can go in the United States to get information on international players. When Taraje went to the Olympics, he has to call back home to Jimmy Pedro and I so that we could go over scouting reports on the phone. This should not be so. There is absolutely no reason to coach at the Olympic Games if you are not handing out scouting reports and proposed strategic frameworks for action. But this is not available if the information is not available.

Do I think that the Olympic coaches did only half the job? As a professional coach, I’m a telling you YES!!! (as well as some of the coaches on many of the other international trips). If you and I were playing for the Chicago Bears and we didn’t receive a scouting report about our upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers, then the coaches would be fired. Under my direction, none of my athletes walk into a combat situation without a STRUCTURED plan of attack that comes from gathered intelligence from an internal information funnel and filtering process. We need this on the international scale. Now some competitors don’t like to scout, etc.,. nor do they think that they need it. That’s okay. The foundation for information to be funneled and filtered still has to be set up.

Fourth we must APPOINT CONSULTANTS OR TRANSLATORS WHO CAN PUT STRATEGIES INTO ACTION…

This means that we must find the appropriate judokas with background in education who know how to design curricula. Then we must find the appropriate judoka who know how to take that curricula and actually turn it into cognitively palatable chunks (or lesson of instruction) so that students may learn. And then we must find the Judo consultants who can put these things into action on a national scale.

See, what I do, is teach. NOT IN A DOJO. I teach DOJOS. I’ve taken the approach that “The Sensei needs to be taught too” and the secondary approach that, “we all are our own sensei at some point or level of the game”. With this, I’ve created product which FULLY explain how you can put strategies into action from the basement to the penthouse level.

Fourth we must STOP MEASURING THE COST OF A ‘THING’ AGAINST THE ‘THING’ ITSELF WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IN THE HELL THAT ‘THING’ IS.

I’ve heard so many people complain about products or seminars being expensive when they have not attended the seminar or viewed the product.

Criticizing such a thing is not only silly it is out right ignorant and dumb. You can’t possibly say that a “thing” is not “worth it” if you don’t have an opportunity to value it’s worth. Never say, “That’s too much.” Say, “I’m not willing to invest in that area right now.”

Because quite honestly, that’s what it is. I know that that is what it is when it comes to my stuff, because EVERYTHING that I offer comes with a 100% Money Back guarantee. So no one has a reason to complain. If you don’t like something, just send it back, but don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. While you’re sitting around “kicking the tires” 10 other cars have driven away and you’re still left standing there.

Fifth, we must understand this….JUDO IS ALL ABOUT LEVERAGE

Leverage on the mat and Leverage off the mat. Once we LEVERAGE our on the mat resources we will understand how to clearly catapult ourselves out of the realm of Competence into the “Inner Realm” of Excellence.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Upcoming Seminars
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

2008 & 2004 Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray and 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson are coming to the New York / New Jersey area to hold 2 seminars on November 8th and November 9th. Both Taraje and Rhadi hold 4 National Judo Titles respectively. This is great opportunity for the individuals in the New York Metropolitan Area to be instructed, taught and coached by two outstanding judoka and seminarists.

The seminars will take place at the following times, at the following locations:

Rhadi and Taraje will hold 2 EXCLUSIVE semi-private seminars where they will only accept 10 people at each seminar.

The New York Seminar will be held on the 8th of November from 1pm
to 8pm at:

International Training Center of New York
46-13 27th St.
Long Island City, NY 11101

>>> REGISTER FOR THE NEW YORK SEMINAR HERE <<<
http://www.rhadi.com/Nov8Seminar

The New Jersey Seminar will be held on the 9th of November from 9am
to 4pm at:
North Jersey Judo
574 Newark Pompton Turnpike
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

>>> REGISTER FOR THE NEW JERSEY SEMINAR HERE <<<
http://www.rhadi.com/Nov9Seminar

WARNING: There are only 10 spots available for each seminar. This is a semi-private seminar setting.

The seminar is a 6 hour seminar. 3 hours of which is theoretical
instruction and 3 hours of on the mat instruction.
Lunch during the 1 hour break will be provided thanks to Lia Hatashita of Hatashita Sports who is sponsoring the lunch break.
You will definitely leave enriched.

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

Take care and Taraje and I definitely are looking forward to seeing you in November.

Oh, one more thing. Taraje and I recently did a seminar in Virgina. Here’s what the people had to say >>> http://share.ovi.com/media/rhadif.public/rhadif.10037

Enjoy and we look forward to seeing you in November.

Rhadi Ferguson

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

Seminar Update

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

That’s right.

2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson and 2004 & 2008 Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray are coming to New Jersey and New York in November.

Rhadi and Taraje will hold 2 EXCLUSIVE semi-private seminars where they will only accept 10 people at each seminar.

The New York Seminar will be held on the 8th of November from 1pm to 8pm at:

International Training Center of New York

46-13 27th St.

Long Island City, NY 11101

The New Jersey Seminar will be held on the 9th of November from 9am to 4pm at:

North Jersey Judo

574 Newark Pompton Turnpike

Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

The investment required to attend this seminar is only $297

Remember there are only 10 spots available for each seminar.

The seminar is a 6 hour seminar.  3 hours of which is theoretical instruction and 3 hours of on the mat instruction.

You will definitely leave enriched.

On Monday you will receive a website and a webpage so that you may ‘lock in’ your spot.

The title of the 6 hour Seminar is Judo: From Competence to Excellence

We will cover various aspects of the judo game but most importantly we will cover the “&” of Judo.  If you don’t know what the “&” of Judo is, then for no other reason, you should attend just for that.

When you unlock the “&” of judo, you will see you game increase to a remarkable level.

The “AND”  or  “&”  is one of the most overlooked pieces of the game today. Well, it’s overlooked by everyone except for the champions.

Look out for the email on Monday and if you have any questions please email me at info@rhadi.com

Oh, remember, the people who are at these clubs are also competing with you for these same 10 spots so if I were you I would email info@rhadi.com and put in a request to be sent the link right away so that you can get a ‘headstart’ on everyone else.

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

What else is new

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

Earlier today, I made a small “boo-boo” and sent out the wrong video detailing how the Marines train in Quantico during my visit there a couple of day ago.

Here is the correct video link

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=262326243149623126&hl=en

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

The BIG Seminar

in December

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

For those who are interested in seeing the Whole Kit-and-Kaboodle of how I prepare, train, instruct and ready my judo athletes, please visit  http://www.TheJudoSystemSeminar.com where I will provide you with a A-Z Blueprint on how to prepare for judo matches as a coach and/or athlete. The Judo System Seminar is a seminar that is ONLY for judo players who desire to take a professional approach to the sport and who want to know the truth about preparing for judo competition.

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

Closing

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

I just finished up with my editor this morning.

By next week I will be able to submit my disseration to my advisor and then the real fun will begin.

If I had hair, this dissertation would make me pull all of it out. (*smile*)

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson

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

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