Check out part 1 of this interview
Dr. Rhadi Bullard Ferguson is a Bahamian-American mixed martial arts trainer, strength and conditioning coach, motivational speaker, and black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In this exclusive interview with BJJ Eastern Europe, Rhadi talks about the comparison between competing in the Olympics and the ADCC, improving sport BJJ, strength and conditioning and much more:
4. You have competed at the highest level in Judo and the highest level in grappling (ADCC). What was tougher? How was it different?
No comparison.
None.
Olympics was much more difficult.
Make the ADCC World Championships occur every 4 years and then watch people complain and whine! But what it will do is give more people an opportunity to see what training for the Olympics is like. If you want to call it the “Olympics” of Submission Wrestling, then treat it as such. It DOES NOT have the same prestige or level of difficulty to it because of several factors.
1. the frequency of the competition
2. the pool of athletes is not on the same level as the pool of athletes at the Olympic Games
3. the level of anxiety and preparation are not the same because “there’s always next year”.
4. there’s no lengthy qualification process to ENSURE that the best are represented (in Judo, you can GO to the World Championships if you are the best in your country. You cannot GO to the Olympics. You have to QUALIFY for the Olympic Games – very different).
The level of athlete at the Olympic Games, trumps that of the Worlds Best BJJ players. Just take a roll with a Flavio Canto, Tiago Camilo or even Rhadi Ferguson (when I was in my prime in 2004). An elite Judo players’ body feels like a freight train loaded with bricks. The physiological profiles of Olympic Level wrestlers, is a tad bit higher (better) than those of judo players, but in terms of power output in many cases the judo player has more explosive power but less strength. But the physiological profiles that I have seen and done through participatory observation as a coach of elite level BJJ players and no gi grapplers does not even compare. Hell, the VO2 Max numbers of World Class grapplers which I’ve calculated is much lower than that of elite level judoka and wrestlers.
The pool of athlete at ADCC is not even statistically comparable to the people who compete at the Olympics at this point in time. Not even close. It’s a different level of athlete. Now, I believe that over time, it will be, but at this juncture it is not. Not even close.
And that is not to reduce the accomplishments of others. I don’t look at my son’s second place medal at the National Scholastic Judo Championships any less than my accomplishments but what he had to do to get it does not compare to the work which needs to be done in order to get to the Olympics. Different level. Very different! VERY DIFFERENT!!!!
However, as I said before, the sport is growing. This is why there are so many “World Champions.” Blue belt, purple belt, brown belt, black belt, etc.,. Then there’s a no gi champion a gi champion, an Abu Dhabi Champion for gi and submission wrestling. As a judo player, it looks weird. I’m like, “There’s too many world champions!” There’s just ONE World Champion and that’s the best in the weight class. You pick the top person from your country in that weight class and you send them to the World Championships. Done. But the sport is still growing and I understand that. It’s just weird to see when I have personally been in Europe for the 2009 World Judo Championships and saw that place packed with almost 20,000 people and many different countries are represented.
I love Brazilian Jiujitsu, I just loved Judo first. J
And I know after you’ve read that you are going over the argument of who would be who in what type of match. Don’t do it. That is NOT the thesis presented here so that would be an inappropriate antithesis. What I am saying here is the that the LEVEL of athlete is different. The talent pool at the Olympics in the sports of Judo and Wrestling is significantly higher.
5. What are your thoughts of how to improve ibjjf ( sub competition vs points etc) and lack of working of takedowns in BJJ?
SERIOUSLY!! You gotta stop this guard pulling stuff. It’s garbage. It’s horrible. It is not how the art started and it just looks bad. It also eliminates ones development as a martial artist. And it creates an undercurrent message of entitlement. If you want to get on top, then take someone down and get on top. If you want to play from the bottom, then take someone down and play from the bottom. But in the area of sport, you should not be able to achieve a dominant position or stance in the said “game” without earning it.
And matches do not need to be 10 minutes. 5 minutes is more than enough time if you remove the stalling. And you need to impose the stalling, quicker and earlier. And if you accumulate a certain number of stalling penalties, you are disqualified. This will create action and also submission attempts and positional changes. But….. if you do this and add the standing, you will regress toward the mean, so to speak, and end up with…… well…. You’ll end up with sport judo! LOL!!
And this is the problem with getting BJJ in the Olympics. Judo made the changes it needed to make to stay in the Olympics and to stay relevant. The changes are good. Everyone does not agree but I can tell you this. I love watching Judo in the Olympics and whatever rule changes need to occur for me to be able to watch Judo in the Olympics is alright with me.
And as it pertains to points are submissions. It should not matter. Once you jump into the area of sport and game theory, the goal becomes one of myopic focus and that is to win. Period. So it does not matter if it is by points, referees decision or submission. Points are a part of “games.” And when you participate in sport you are essentially playing a “game” with the goal being to win. The rules at the end of the day will dictate, or I should say guide, the practice of the sport and the behavior of the practitioners in the environment of play.
6. What types of supplements/ vitamins would you recommend for a grappler/ competitor?
I would love to answer such a question, but those are consultation types of questions. And I refrain from giving such advice over the net but I can tell you this. Get on Google Scholar and look up the benefits of Rhodiola Rosea or click here. When I was competing I had most of my supplements made. I did blood work with my doctor and we constructed a supplementation profile from my blood work profile. I prided myself on being a professional. If there’s one thing that I know, it’s this. You can’t buy “off-the-rack” walk around looking like you’re “custom-made” 😉
Here’s what I will PROFESSIONALLY recommend. Get a full bloodwork panel. Sit down with someone who specializes in athletic medicine and someone who specializes in orthomolecular medicine. That’s enough for you to put the pieces of the puzzle together. If you’d like a consult I will be more than happy to help you — http://drrhadiferguson.com/contact-us
The Ferguson family
7. What is next for you in 2014/2015
I’ve been super heavy on the writing side as of late as well as the motivational speaking and I absolutely love teaching. In 2013 I had the opportunity to serve as an adjunct professor in the Sports Science department at the University of Central Florida and I taught Introduction to Sports Science. What an amazing opportunity!!! I loved every minute of it. But what I did not like was the 2 hours which I had to commute to get to campus and then the 2 hours I had to commute to get home. In 2013 I also finished my second book which I wrote specifically to address the phenomenon of relationships with respect to high level and elite athletes.
If there is one thing that I have seen absolutely ruin and cripple careers it is the misunderstanding of the impact of people and relationships which occur off the mat and outside the area or environment of play. These relationships have an impact on an athlete in a major way. Friendships, romantic, marital, colloquial and collegial relationships all have an affect the athlete and performance. And since I’ve been a high level athlete and also coached at such a level, I decided to pen a text that could and would be helpful to both athletes and coaches.
The title of the book is Enhance or Destroy Your Athletic Career: Relationship Lessons from an Elite Athlete.
Its basically a miniature handbook about What every person who is an Elite Athlete or associated with an Elite Athlete SHOULD know! This guide is for elite athletes and their close friends and families and should be read by every athlete and anyone expecting to engage or who is engaged in some kind of relationship with a highly-driven athlete. Inside my book, you will discover:
• What it REALLY means to be emotionally involved with an athlete
• How to APPROPRIATELY manage your personal relationships to enhance your career
• Why it is GOOD to be selfish
• How friends and athletes should interact, but most of the times don’t
• How families should behave
• What it means to date or marry an elite athlete
• The IMPERATIVES of why your career must always come first! In this ground-breaking book, you will finally be able to understand the relationship dynamics that affects an athlete’s life.
If you are an athlete, it will reduce your guilt and refocus your priorities. If you are a family member, love interest or friend it will let you know what role you can expect to play in a ‘career comes first’ relationship. With ‘Enhance or Destroy Your Athletic Career’ you will learn how to manage your relationships to enhance your athletic career! It is time to stop allowing relationships to hurt your chances to becoming a champion!
8. If you want to thank somebody or sponsors, feel free
I would like to thank BJJ Europe and Gile Huni for the opportunity to share my thoughts, insights and personal opinion and outlook on things. And if you are ever in Tampa please visit Tampa Florida Judo or Brandon BJJ.
Also you must!! And I mean must visit www. GripFighting.com If you do BJJ or judo, this is a necessity.
9. Thanks Rhadi and all the best!
And I will openly admit…. I do not know how to do the Berimbolo and quite honestly, I’m not sure what it is.
