Wouldn’t it be nice to find a therapist who didn’t dwell on the negatives in your life … or your past life, then prescribe antidepressants? Isn’t there some other way to make you feel better?

Yes, there is. Some psychologists say the answer lies in talking about the good things in your life. That could include your interests, your talents, or your gratitude to someone.

Focusing on your strengths is part of seeing the sunny side of your life. The therapists recommend thinking about what makes you happy when times of stress and depression come.

The good news is that the technique works for everyone including people with no mental illness or disorder, those who function well but just want to function better. They are increasingly giving the upbeat method a try.

In applying “positive psychology,” therapists point up the affirmative aspects of a patient’s life with the goal of helping them feel more optimistic, capable, and fulfilled.

The new techniques may involve stressing such strengths as creativity or humor and using these qualities in everyday life. One goal is to teach people to put more positive experiences into their day, to appreciate and notice these experiences

This positive approach is being used with everyone from depressed patients and anorexics to disaster victims, and veterans returning from war with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Positive psychology was created by Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, who later became president of the American Psychological Association.

Quotes

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.

Alexander Graham Bell

The only people to get even with are those who have helped you.

Anon

When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.

George Washington Carver

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.

Dale Turner

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer, never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat.

Malcolm Forbes

Enthusiasm is that secret and harmonious spirit which hovers over the production of genius.

Isaac Disraeli

Close scrutiny will show that most crisis situations are opportunities to either advance or stay where you are.

Maxwell Maltz

When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.

Thomas Jefferson

The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

Vince Lombardi

Nothing will work unless you do.

Maya Angelou

Take care and have a great day.

Dr. Rhadi Ferguson

http://www.ChumpRepellent.com

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

In the past 12 months I’ve read more books that I’ve probably read in my life.

Here’s short list of what I’ve read, followed by what I’m currently reading:

OUTLIERS
TALENT IS OVERRATED
TALENT CODE
SLOW PRACTICE WILL GET YOU THERE FASTER
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
GOOD TO GREAT
MADE TO STICK
THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLKS
WHAT THE DOG SAW
HOW TO WIN EVERY ARGUMENT
BLINK
THE 7-DAY LOW-CARB RESCUE AND RECOVERY PLAN
EXISTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND SPORT THEORY AND APPLICATION
THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

And I’m currently reading:

THINKING STRATEGICALLY - THE COMPETITIVE EDGE IN BUSINESS, POLITICS, AND EVERYDAY LIFE
ROAD TO EXCELLENCE
THE SPORTS SCIENCE OF ELITE JUDO ATHLETES

And I’ve been reading all of the research of skill acquisition and expert performance that I can get my hands on.

In the past 6 months, I’ve created a system where I can improve VO2 Max anywhere from 15%-50% in a healthy young adult in 4 weeks time. We’ve already done it in the Bahamas with the young judo players there. This may not be amazing to some and is nowhere in the realm of remarkable, especially for untrained or detrained individuals, but it is a major milestone to have a STANDARD protocol which we know that everyone can do and improve so now we can disseminate the information because it has been tested and proven to work. Although the tests are practical and anecdotal in nature, they still are evidentially factual (for lack of a better scientific phrase, since one doesn’t really fit here)  LOL.

I have been reading, voraciously, all of the research on expert performance, talent, skill acquisition and chess strategy and studies that I can get my hands on.

I’ve actually found out the secret to development for short, medium and long term development for sports such as boxing, judo, jiujitsu, wrestling, etc.,. (but not MMA, the mixture of disciplines makes it very difficult. I’m going to have to start reading some research or pentathletes, triathletes, decathletes, and gymnasts. The multiple disciplines make MMA a very difficult study. I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS!!! I KNOW!!!). It’s crazy because some people think that they know, some do know, but many are just guessing. And I will admit, I guess to. Sometimes you have to do, but I don’t purport my guesses as facts, but educated guesses.

Here’s what I do know. If you want to be super good at anything, there are 4 things that you are DEFINITELY going to need. You will need others, but you will definitely need these FOUR.

=================
Number One: Coaching
=================

I don’t care who you are or what you are doing, if you do not have QUALITY coaching, you can FORGET BEING GOOD AT ANYTHING.  I don’t care, if you think that you’ve coached yourself, if you are receiving some advice from different sources and its working out for you, its more than likely that you are getting some good coaching. Now your coaching can actually be better, but it is better than not having any at all.

This year, Jimmy Pedro and I created an online Newaza Coaching program from Judo, Sambo and BJJ players. Jimmy wanted to do another DVD and I told him, “No, let’s do an online coaching program where people can watch the videos from anywhere and also ask questions so that we can provide a quality exchange of information.”  He agreed. I’m glad that he did because we now have the ability to coach people from all around the globe. They don’t have to worry about differing codecs for DVD, PAL format versus NTSC, or shipping costs or not getting their video. Once they invest, they can start learning IMMEDIATELY.

Many of my customers had been asking for this option and I didn’t provide it at first for two reasons (1) I was terrified of it and (2) I really didn’t know how to do it or what format or method of deliver-ability would be best.  I found it >>> http://www.NewazaMadeEasy.com <<<

The importance of coaching in gaining a competitive edge in sport and life cannot be underestimated.  Right now I’m receiving coaching advice from a Northwestern MBA Graduate who has built up his business without the use of any internet, limited advertising and no use of credit cards and has a home of the beach in the islands.  The model is VERY different from mine, but there are so many things to learn about business that I DO NOT know. And although my marketing is good, there are still some things that I need help with through the understanding that social networking is not a new phenomenon but something that we think is new because of the online social networking portals.

Without getting deep into this discussion and rambling due the excitement of the moment, I will tersely say - COACHING IS IMPORTANT!! YOU CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT. And if you have a coach, who doesn’t think that you should get coaching from elsewhere as well, FIRE HIM OR HER IMMEDIATELY. They are jealous, ignorant and STUPID!!!!

>>> http://www.NewazaMadeEasy.com <<<

=================
Number Two: Practicing
Alone
=================

I’m sure you’ve seen boxers shadow box before.

The crazy thing is that you never really see judo players do shadow randori, but you do see wrestlers doing shadow drilling.

I’m not sure why more judo players don’t do this. One of my judo advisors Angelo Ruiz, a 3-Time Olympian and former head coach of Puerto Rico, was a huge proponent of this and recommended hours and hours of it.  As a matter of fact, when I was preparing Brian Picklo for the 2008 Olympic Trials, I flew Angelo Ruiz into Florida to help with Brian Picklo’s preparation (I introduced ANOTHER coach because I believe in coaching) and he and Brian did hours and hours and hours and hours of shadow randori and shadow uchikomi.  We even did shadow mock matches where I was able to call out the commands based upon the tendencies and Brian was able to perform on cue.

Brian was also able to practice by himself.  Practicing alone is VERY important. Self-directed learning and alone deliberate practice is important and IS DONE BY CHAMPIONS not by the average. If you want to be good, you have to do more than the normal levels of practice. You have to do more. That doesn’t mean that you have to “kill” yourself, but it does mean that you have to practice until you can absorb more.

WARNING!!!! There is one problem. If you practice by yourself, WITHOUT having learned properly from a seasoned coach, you can create problems for yourself because you can possibly create bad habits.  This is why coaching is so important.

>>> http://www.NewazaMadeEasy.com <<<

====================
Number Three: Environment
====================

Move.

Don’t have the practice partners?

MOVE!

Don’t have Advanced Placement classes?

MOVE!

Don’t have weightroom?

FIND A WAY TO GET STRONG WITHOUT IT

Don’t have S.A.T. preparation in your neighborhood?

START READING A BOOK A WEEK.

Don’t have a judo club or bjj club?

FIND AN ONLINE COACHING PROGRAM 

Don’t have good grades and need a tutor?

PUT AN AD IN THE NEWSPAPER AND BEG SOMEONE TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP YOU.

Here’s the bottom line.

FIND A WAY TO GET IT DONE.  DO NOT MAKE ANY EXCUSES. CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT AND EXPERIENCES THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO EXCEL.PERIOD!!!!!!

http://www.NewazaMadeEasy.com

==================
Number 4: Understand that
Strategy and Tactics ARE
More Important Than Technique……
After you have a sufficient level of
TECHNIQUE
===================

We can alway be more technical - that is a fact.

Deion Sanders can be more technical. Jerry Rice can be more technical. Jimmy Pedro can be more technical. Manny Ramirez can be more technical.

But here’s the issue… THE RESEARCH STATES VERY CLEARLY that there is a well-defined chronological window of time where you can be at the TOP OF YOUR GAME. And in that time, you have to make a decision of what you need, take inventory of what you have, and look at what you can gain the quickest and fastest during your “golden hours” of athletic prowess.  Gaining more technique is certainly key.  But it is NOT the only key.

If you had some great and blessed early development where you technique is SUPERB, well… I’m happy for you. Not everyone is so fortunate and most people learn a great deal more AFTER they have retired.  During your “golden hours” you need to find a way to win and what the research says is that strategy and tactics are key.

Don’t believe me, then do the studying for yourself. You will find the information in the area of chess development and study and expert performance in chess. You can spend the hours reading and researching because you want to fight what I’m saying or you can believe me and we can keep this party moving.

In newaza, I’m a pretty damn good technician. When it comes to gripping… I’m not to bad there either.  When it comes to tachiwaza, I’m not that great…. BUT, I don’t look at tachiwaza as you do. Tachiwaza, for me, is a system NOT a move or moves.  I implement strategic systems. This allows me and people like me to beat the  “pretty” uchimata people LOL.  REPEATEDLY!!  And they get made and pissed off and upset because while they are studying uchimata and judo, I’m studying “game theory” and dialectical relationship of “the technician” and “the grinder” and constantly analyzing the iterative process of synthesizing. (if you don’t understand this…. it’s okay. If not, just look up Hegel, game theory, and systems theory and start reading and studying).

==================
I could go on for days….
==================

I could go on and on for days on this topic, but I thought I’d just put these thoughts on your email/blog for today and allow you to access the information at your leisure.

You most certainly can’t beat someone like me, handing you their book list from the past 12 months. That’s worth it’s weight in gold. If I were you, I’d put those books on my Christmas, Birthday and wish list and get them are start diving into them. You will love them.

=================
Today, I put the following
on my Facebook page
=================

I’m laffing my butt off because all these people are racking their brains and bodies about how to get good in Judo and I know the secret. LOL. The answer is ALWAYS in the “0″. Judo is like a donut. The key to the donut is not the round part. The key to the donut and what makes it a donut is the “HOLE” LOL.

But here’s the key:  The improvement of your judo exists within that which you CANNOT see, not in that which you CAN see.  Just as in religion, the ability to jump over the spiritual chasm is for you to begin to WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe in that which you CANNOT see, so mirrors development in life and sport.  There is a level of “blindness” that is necessary to increase your “vision” which creates the “Ohhhhhhhhhh now I see it” phenomenon.  It’s crazy when it happens, but it is the truth.

THE ANSWER IS IN THE “ZERO”!!!!!!!!!

================
To My Haters……
================

There is a faction of people out there who enjoy relying on their “time” and “experience” in their profession or sport as their main point of argument for superiority in their area of expertise.  Usually when they are making their point they call out the “new experts” as overzealous, “young bucks”, or “marketers” without being “in the trenches” and usually they are talking or speaking with people in their demographic or their fans.

It is very difficult for them and others to understand that people like me can RUN circles around your knowledge because the marketplace provides more learning portals, more information and more opportunities at ones fingertips than before.

I can literally train 5 people in Strength and Conditioning a day, do 3 Mixed Martial Arts consults over the phone and then teach BJJ class at 5:30 and train boxing at 7pm to 830 and sit down and read my email when I’m done training, check my voicemail log for the day, and “write” a paper or email on the way home by speaking into my Blackberry and then having my assistant transcribe it by the morning and have it ready to go out.  And that’s only a SMALL portion of my day.

There’s NO WAY for one to understand how “we”, the younger generation can catch up and surpass the older.  There are things like maturity, etc.,. that you really have to “grow” into, but when it comes to knowledge, understanding, coaching….. I’m telling you right now… some of you older dudes are resting on your laurels, you are not reading, you are not learning, you are not doing what you are supposed to do. MOVE OUT THE WAY and allow others to do their work and stop hatin’ or start MOVING yourself.

You can’t do this thing “part-time” and have a “full-time” understanding.

I too will be where you are one day and when that time comes…. I would love to know that I can offer advice and NOT HATERADE.

Cool out on being threatened… it doesn’t look good on you.

Yep, the Olympian status is from the United States in the sport of Judo. You can hate on it if you want to, but that’s where I live.

Yep, the Ph.D. is from Capella University an online institution, I attended from 2002-2009. I was going to school while training for the Olympics AND training an Olympian and creating one of the best Judo businesses in the world today.

Yep, the Brazilian Jiujitsu Black belt is from Ricardo Liborio and the white to brown belt from Lloyd Irvin. They don’t GIVE those things away, and YES, my newaza knowledge is more extensive that 99.9% of the Judoka that you know.

Yep, my wife graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University and went to The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is one of the top Internists in the country.  Not my fault.

Yep, I attended Howard University and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1997 and a Masters of Arts of Teaching in 2002.

Sooooo…….. you can keep on hating.

It’s what you do. I’mma sit over here and keep doing me.

As you are hatin’, I’m creatin’.

Like my fellow Alumnus from Howard University, Sean “Puffy” Combs says, “Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop!”

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

If you have not joined the coaching program at http://www.LiveJudo.com please go there right now and join >>> http://www.NewazaMadeEasy.com

Take care and have a great day.

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
BJJ Black Belt

http://www.LiveJudo.com

==============
Thank You!
==============

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have sent the emails and voice mails to say congratulations.

Our daughter was born on the 11th of February, 3:35pm EST.  She was 6lbs and 5.5oz and 19.5 inches long.

She came home on the 13th of February and made our Valentines Day the best ever.

My daughter’s name is Rhadi Isabelle Ferguson.

I’ve been having such a great time with my wife, my son and my daughter.  We were all on the couch snuggled up watching my son’s favorite show Spiderman  ;-)  It was the greatest ever.

I think I had a smile on my face the whole entire time.

==============
What’s New? MMA
==============

I’m sure many of you heard that I’m training now to step in the cage.

Training is going well. I must admit, it is a little bit harder than I expected to get in shape. I’m not as fast as I used to be, but I’m not slow by any stretch  :-)

My strength is still good, but my power needs a little bit of work. I’m still squatting 315lbs for sets, and can whip out a set of 20 reps of 275lb, but I’m still a couple of weeks away from cranking out a set of 20 with 315lb. But TRUST ME when I say that as soon as I get there, I’ll be shooting a video for you.

My power cleans are still strong— I’m working out with 185lb for sets of 5. Taking it slow and have been really working on my boxing, which I absolutely love.

Right now I’m feeling good and training smart. I’m a lot better equipped intellectually than I was before. I know the right supplements to take, how to train, what to do and what not to do and I understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day. I’m very aware that I won’t be in tip-top form until about 12 months of solid training but that I can be in quality shape in about 6 months.

I’m cool with that.

I will provide you all with some of video of my training sessions in the near future.

===============
Tomorrow…. Din Thomas
===============

Tomorrow, I am going to work out with the man that has the fastest hands in Mixed Martial Arts…. Din Thomas.  Din, has awesome boxing skills and is arguably the best boxer in MMA today.  I was directed by the head coach of American Top Team, Ricardo Liborio, to go seek out Din Thomas, so I will take the 90 minute drive 2-3x a week and do what I’m told.

================
American Top Team
or Team LLoyd Irvin?
================

I get asked all the time if I’m with ATT or Lloyd Irvin and my response is that, “I’m with Rhadi Ferguson.”  The team which I’m a part of is American Top Team. But I am a member of both the ATT and Team Lloyd Irvin families.

Lloyd and I have known each other since we played football against each other in college in 1993.  He was, at one time, my MAIN and only training partner and has been and ALWAYS will be a technical advisor and coach for me if I step into any area of combat.

There are 2 people that I WILL HAVE AROUND ME IN SOME CAPACITY if I’m fighting in any sport and those 2 people are EDDIE LIDDIE AND LLOYD IRVIN!  Period.  That’s just a comfortability issue and they are people that I have worked with for years!!

I truly love American Top Team, Dan Lambert, Liborio and the awesome level of fighters there. In my opinion, it is the best fight school in the country.  So, just to squash all of the talk out the gate, let me say that. I have dual citizenship. I can train at both places, probably … and Lloyd and Libo get along great so there’s not problem there.

I fight under the American Top Team banner. Period.

I will not fight in ANY CAPACITY without Lloyd Irvin. I don’t give a damn if its checkers - PERIOD! We have history and he KNOWS how to CORNER me and what to say and what not to say.

===============
Kimbo Slice
===============

Dude is my hero.

I have a HUGE amount of respect for him, what he’s done for the sport, his family and how he handles his business on a professional level. We’ve spoke a couple of times and my how the tables have turned.  I actually need his advice now, instead of the other way around.  LOL  Life is funy like that.

He promised me that he work with me on my hands. This oughta be interesting.

==============
Jimmy Pedro and
Live Judo
==============

On the 14th of February, Jimmy Pedro and I launched our latest joint venture, Live Judo.

Live Judo is a website that houses Jimmy Pedro’s 12 Month Online Newaza Coaching Program.

It is absolutely phenomenal and a great opportunity for those who want to expand their repertoire on the ground.

If you are at all interested in improving your newaza, Braziliain Jiujitsu, Sambo or grappling then this program will truly be helpful for you.

You can access it here
http://www.livejudo.com/?page_id=22

==================
Wanna Sneak Peek of
Jimmy Pedro’s 12
Month Online Newaza Coaching
Program?
==================

Triangle (Sankaku) from Turtle Defense - Rhadi Ferguson’s Variation

http://www.livejudo.com/?page_id=124

Triangle (Sankaku) from Turtle Defense - Jimmy Pedro’s Variation

http://www.livejudo.com/?page_id=127

Hopefully you enjoy that.  Please give us a try
http://www.livejudo.com/?page_id=22

Jimmy Pedro and I would love to help you.

===============
Conclusion
===============

Take care and have a super fantastic day.

Regards,

Rhadi Ferguson, Ph.D., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion
http://www.RhadiFerguson.com

P.S. Please make sure that you take a good look at “Pushups From A to Z”  http://www.PushupsFromAtoZ.com If you want a very well chiseled chest or if you want to learn how to create one by just using bodyweight… well this is program for you.