Here's how the best train.

[Merryprankster]

Rhadi is our 2004 Olympian in the 100kg weight class in Judo.
It's been my privelege to be a throwing dummy for him and occasionally a groundwork training partner, although I'm 99% certain I'm not much of a challange for him.

Next time you think you're training hard, read this. People are going to come back with "balance," but there's not a single person I've ever met at the very top of their field that has a balanced life. That's what it takes to be the best. If you don't want that, that's cool. But if you do, and you're not training like this, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!!! :D

This is from the Washington Post

Muscle and Mayhem

By Eli Saslow

On his bad days, Rhadi Ferguson surveys his drab, worn-down dorm room and marvels at what becoming an Olympian cost him.

He lives at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, 2,000 miles away from his wife in Rockville. Pain often keeps him from sleeping and forces him to endure two hours of treatment each day. He's so deep in debt that he refuses to spend money on anything other than his sport, judo.

"I've given up just about everything," said Ferguson, 29. "Some days, that's pretty devastating. But its almost not a choice. I needed this, to make the Olympics."

For Ferguson, it has never been so much an Olympic dream as an Olympic obsession. He fell in love with judo six years ago, and the sport ransacked his life. For it, Ferguson sacrificed a $70,000 job at Texas Instruments and a comfortable home with his new wife.

He underwent major knee surgery, ripped his thigh muscle off the bone, pulled his groin muscle and dislocated three fingers -- all in the past year. "He takes brutal beatings," his strength coach said, "that most men wouldn't even survive." And in return Ferguson, ranked No. 1 in the United States, hopes to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens.

"It was never my goal to be the best in the U.S.," Ferguson said. "I want to be the best in the world, and I've worked harder for that than anyone."

A three-sport star at Howard University in track, football and wrestling from 1994 to '97, Ferguson stumbled into competitive judo almost by mistake. Having dabbled in the sport during childhood, Ferguson decided to join a judo club after graduation. He overpowered his amateur opponents and earned a black belt. On a whim, he decided to compete in the prestigious N.Y. Open in 1998 and wound up finishing third.

Less than a year later, he moved to Colorado Springs and went to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as an alternate. "I hated watching the Olympics and not competing," Ferguson said. "So I made a vow to stay in Colorado and make it in 2004."

At the Olympic Training Center, a place where dedication seems cliche, Ferguson is revered for his work ethic. He wakes up at 5:30 to lift weights and then goes to practice for two hours. In the afternoon, he takes classes in pursuit of his third degree before going online to run his blossoming business www.trainingtowin.com.

Coaches think Ferguson might be in better shape than any other person in the world, and its easy to see why: At 5 feet 7, he weighs 225 pounds with just 5 percent body fat. He can squat 550 pounds, bench his weight 30 times and run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

In fact, Ferguson is in better shape than many of his opponents think could be legally possible. Because of his build, the Olympic Training Center has tested him for steroids about a dozen times in the last few years, coaches said. Each time he's come up clean.

"People don't understand that he's just a genetic freak," said Carlos Santana, his strength coach. "His body works better than anyone else's in the world. It just leaves people dumbfounded."

To Paul Cotton, his Howard wrestling coach, Ferguson is "the closest thing this world will ever have to Superman." To William Moultrie, his Howard track coach, he's "the most athletic guy I've known." And to Mike Barnes, ranked No. 2 in judo in the United States, Ferguson is "flat-out scary."

At tournaments, opponents dread fighting Ferguson. They don't want to lose, sure. But more than that, they don't want to endure the physical pain he can inflict.

So far this year, Ferguson estimates that he has "popped 25 arms" or dislocated 25 shoulders. He grabs an opponent's hand, swivels it behind his back and then jerks upward. When that doesn't work, he resorts to simpler methods: Once this year, he picked up a 220-pound opponent and threw him 10 feet into the air.

"I'd be scared to fight against me," Ferguson said. "I'm all muscle and desire."

Question is, could Ferguson be too dedicated? Judo has left some lasting marks on his body -- early signs of arthritis, a finger so swollen his wedding ring won't fit -- that Ferguson seems to ignore.

Last year, doctors told Ferguson to give a torn thigh muscle six weeks to heal. He fought in the Pan Am Games less than two weeks later, finishing third. At the Olympic trials this month, Ferguson won despite a groin injury that kept him from moving side-to-side.

Ferguson's body never screamed louder for rest than it did about a year ago, when he tore his lateral collateral ligament and needed major replacement surgery. Doctors told Ferguson the injury would take nine months to heal. Finally, friends thought, Ferguson would be forced to spend a week in bed.

"That was so tough for him," said Rufus Ferguson, Rhadi's father. "But we thought he would relax and give himself time to heal."

Instead, Ferguson woke up at 5 a.m. after his surgery and hobbled into the weight room on his crutches. He lifted upper-body weights for more than an hour, until a combination of pain and anesthesia made his so nauseous he went to the bathroom to vomit.

"People came up and asked me what I was thinking," said Ferguson, who ended up recovering from the torn LCL in about five months. "I told them I was thinking about going to the Olympics. I was thinking about staying in shape and fulfilling a goal."

"He borders on crazy," said Lloyd Irvin, who teaches Ferguson jujitsu. "But once he decides that he's going to do something, there's no way he's stopping."

And hence the pattern that has sculpted Ferguson's life: Define a goal and aggressively achieve it.

He wanted to play three sports at Howard, so he did. He wanted to amass a bevy of degrees, to become a "lifetime learner," so he got a Master's in education, became a certified strength and conditioning specialist and started working toward his Ph.D.

He even pursued his wife, Traci, the same way. She came to one of his football games at Howard and, that same day, he told her they would get married. She resisted for five years, but he eventually achieved his goal.

"Rhadi was just so persistent," Traci said. "He always gets what he wants."

That's why friends take Ferguson seriously when he talks about his next goal: playing in the NFL. Ferguson had a solid college career as a gritty running back, but a major shoulder injury kept him from going to the NFL coaches combine for prospective players. Plus, judo has left him so broke -- he spent $30,000 traveling to competitions last year alone -- that he wants to make money fast.

"He has the skills," said Rufus, who played for the Atlanta Falcons in the late 1970s. "He could very easily be at that level."

"He'd be in the best pure shape of anybody in the league," said Santana, who works with about 20 NFL players. "And if he says that's what he wants to do, I sure don't have any reason to doubt him."

[Merryprankster]

http://www.judoinfo.com/video/ot_highlights.wmv

Rhadi is in this highlight clip. A Seio Nage and a couple of truly enormous single legs. He would be the bullet shaped black fellow that looks like somebody tried to stuff a giant into a beer keg and almost got him in there.

Watch how effortless it is because of his timing and body mechanics. Superb!

[SevenStar]

Inspiring!

[Xeamus]

sweet, i did not know guitar legend Carlos Santana also was into strenght coaching

[kungfu cowboy]

Yip Man could take him.

[scotty1]

That's a crazy article.

Yeah, pretty motivational.

[rogue]

People are going to come back with "balance," but there's not a single person I've ever met at the very top of their field that has a balanced life. How true. Most that I've met who've tried to have a balanced life while being in any elite level in business, spec ops or academia have met with alot of hardship. After all of these years of trying to have a balanced life I don't think it's possible if you hope to accomplish anything. You pick what's important to you and make that your primary and anything else will have to be sacrificed to a degree against that.

[David Jamieson]

obssession, ambition and where do you wind up? A broken body, weak relationships....

ah well, this can be theh badness of the competitive nature becoming to strongly ingrained. Especially when we are talking about something as obscure as olympic judo.

don't think it's obscure? without using the net to look it up, name the last 3 champions. There, it's obscure.

Martial arts in general are obscure.

Rogue is correct in his assessment that to be the top of the elite takes a lot of focused commitment exclusionary to the rest of your life.

But is this success? Sure, if it's what you want. Good on the guy and it IS lonely at the top. But everyone else looks like ants! muwhahahahahahaha.

To each their own.

cheers

p.s here's how another champion trains to be a champion...:D

http://www.sportsci.org/news/news9709/hatfield.html

He just happens to be one of my top 10 favourite boxers but hey, that's his training regimen.

[Nick Forrer]

Originally posted by Merryprankster
http://www.judoinfo.com/video/ot_highlights.wmv

Rhadi is in this highlight clip. A Seio Nage and a couple of truly enormous single legs. He would be the bullet shaped black fellow that looks like somebody tried to stuff a giant into a beer keg and almost got him in there.

Watch how effortless it is because of his timing and body mechanics. Superb!

Yeah good stuff- those single legs were scary:eek:

Dont know about the coldplay though:confused:

[Suntzu]

He lives at the Olympic Training Center... must be nice.......
...in Colorado Springs well...... not THAT nice i guess :D .......... big ups HU.....

[Vash]

Dang. That is some scary stuff. Lord knows I wouldn't do it, though.

I've just recently gotten over a 15 month chest injury. I start training karate again next week, and I start an extremely abbreviated weight training schedule the week after. Gotta be careful, no need to tear fugged up muscle.

I love working out, doing karate, the whole bit. But, I know I would not sacrifice my body in the same way this guy does.

[Suntzu]

i would if i could...... but alas..... san shou wont be an olypic sport.....

[FatherDog]

It's always humbling to see how much more than oneself people are willing to sacrifice to achieve their dreams.

Good luck to Rhadi at the Olympics!

[Chang Style Novice]

Much as I admire his resilience and dedication, I would never do what he does. I just want something else a lot more.

I don't think I want anything as much as he wants that gold medal, though!

[Ford Prefect]

He is an animal and I wish him the best in Olympics.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Merryprankster
Coaches think Ferguson might be in better shape than any other person in the world, and its easy to see why: At 5 feet 7, he weighs 225 pounds with just 5 percent body fat. He can squat 550 pounds, bench his weight 30 times and run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

A 2x bw squat is hardly better shape than anyone in the world. A 2x bw squat at 5% bf makes it a little more impressive, tho. Benching your bw 30 times... I've never tried that.


In fact, Ferguson is in better shape than many of his opponents think could be legally possible. Because of his build, the Olympic Training Center has tested him for steroids about a dozen times in the last few years, coaches said. Each time he's come up clean.

"Coming up clean" doesn't equal "not on roids." Upper echelon athletes are nearly always on steroids. For those of you who want to argue with me, go to the training forum and read the thread I linked in the post called "My favorite owning."

Then again, it's Judo, so he might not be.

But then again, it's Olympic level Judo, so he probably is.

Lots of NHB guys use roids, and that's lower class than the Olympics, so...


Carlos Santana, his strength coach.

:confused:


So far this year, Ferguson estimates that he has "popped 25 arms" or dislocated 25 shoulders.

Ok, tough guy. Why do people train this way. Maybe once in a lifetime if you hurt someone in training that's understandable. But 25 people already in one year? Wtf? Does this guy have frat-boy syndrome?


Once this year, he picked up a 220-pound opponent and threw him 10 feet into the air.

:rolleyes:

[Chang Style Novice]

Iron fist -

Ithink he means he got hurt 25 times this year with a dislocated shoulder

[MasterKiller]

I don't think so. The article is talking about how much he is feared in competition:


At tournaments, opponents dread fighting Ferguson. They don't want to lose, sure. But more than that, they don't want to endure the physical pain he can inflict.

So far this year, Ferguson estimates that he has "popped 25 arms" or dislocated 25 shoulders. He grabs an opponent's hand, swivels it behind his back and then jerks upward. When that doesn't work, he resorts to simpler methods: Once this year, he picked up a 220-pound opponent and threw him 10 feet into the air.

[Chang Style Novice]

Note to self - read more carefully.

[Merryprankster]

A 2x bw squat is hardly better shape than anyone in the world. A 2x bw squat at 5% bf makes it a little more impressive, tho. Benching your bw 30 times... I've never tried that.

C'mon Iron. You know better than this. It won't make him the world's best strength athlete, but considering what he can do ON TOP of that squat is pretty phenomenal. 4.5 40 - and benching 225 as many times as you can is part of the NFL combine. 30 is considered pretty much elite. It's not the individual pieces, its the whole!

I personally don't believe he's on the sauce, not because of some hero-worship syndrome but because I've been around him a while and he's genuinely built the way that's described. Short limbs, thick torso, mesomorphic in the extreme. He's just kind of a freak. Lloyd's not on the juice either and he was drafted as a cornerback before blowing out his knee. Some people are just freaks.



Ok, tough guy. Why do people train this way. Maybe once in a lifetime if you hurt someone in training that's understandable. But 25 people already in one year? Wtf? Does this guy have frat-boy syndrome?

Ummmm... it was in competition. He doesn't pop them in training. But in competition, the other person's safety is their responsibility. I don't care about the safety of my opponent. I'm trying to win and will do everything in my power to legally do so. If that means the other guy gets his arm broken, oh well. "The other guys face is his problem."

If you have a problem with that mindset, you're going to get your ass beat in any competition.



Once this year, he picked up a 220-pound opponent and threw him 10 feet into the air.

1. Don't know what the **** your problem is with this statement. This is Judo and that happens all the time. I chucked a guy for a complete somersault and then some.
2. It's no reflection on HIM since the fellow who wrote this article is a Washington Post reporter
3. Unlike stuff such as "throwing somebody without perceptable body movement," or silly parlor tricks, this is verifiable. The skill sets are on the highlight clip I posted. You'll note the guy gets some pretty nice elevation. Imagine him doing the same thing only getting over his back and you've got a pretty good idea of how such a thing can happen. Heck, I watched the U.S. wrestling team trials and one guy got a front headlock suplesse on the other fellow. Up and over. Huge 5 point throw, easily 7 ft elevation. It can be done. Verifiably. And lots.

so....:rolleyes: back atcha.

[unkokusai]

Originally posted by Merryprankster


1. Don't know what the **** your problem is with this statement. This is Judo and that happens all the time. I chucked a guy for a complete somersault and then some.
.

Is there a video-thing of this 10 feet in the air deal? I'd like to see that.

[Merryprankster]

There might be somewhere, but I don't have it or know where to get it.

A hard suplesse or uchimata can get some real height on it though.

I think what Iron's thinking is that you chuck some guy in the air ala Tekken 4 and do a super finishing combo on him on the way back down though. Not quite the same.

I'm personally betting that knowing Rhadi's throwing, he got someguy in a giant double or single and got him straight up and over. Getting center of gravity to 10 feet probably didn't happen, but I imagine bits of the other fellow got that high :)

[SifuAbel]

"At 5 feet 7, he weighs 225 pounds with just 5 percent body fat."

Yikes, I'm 5'8" and he's got 20 lbs of muscle on me. Animal.

The running I could see. Us squat legggers are good at the short sprints.

[unkokusai]

Originally posted by Merryprankster
There might be somewhere, but I don't have it or know where to get it.

A hard suplesse or uchimata can get some real height on it though.

I think what Iron's thinking is that you chuck some guy in the air ala Tekken 4 and do a super finishing combo on him on the way back down though. Not quite the same.

I'm personally betting that knowing Rhadi's throwing, he got someguy in a giant double or single and got him straight up and over. Getting center of gravity to 10 feet probably didn't happen, but I imagine bits of the other fellow got that high :)

However he did it, gotta be a crowd pleaser!

[Ford Prefect]

Merry,

I think his problem is just with the tone of the article and some of the claims. Adam Archuletta weighs less the Rhadi, has a better 40 time, can bench 225 more times (as well as 530 x1 & the 40/bench were done at the combine, under pressure with all the NFL watching), can squat 650+, and I haven't seen any articles written about him being the most well conditioned athlete in the world. I'm not dissing on Rhadi either though. Those are incredible numbers which would hold up well at the combine if his other scores did too.

Also the throwing the guy 10 feet in the air is a little much. A pro basketball hoop is 10' up. I'd need to see footage of somebody being thrown that high before believing it.

It really doesn't matter. I think it was just some hyperbole thrown into an article about somebody whom the author is obviously excited. If I hadn't known who Rhadi was or seen him in action, then I would have had the same reaction IF did.

Either way, he's one hell of an athlete and he busts his butt. He has my respect and best wishes.

[SifuAbel]

I think its more brain chemistry that drives this guy to be the way he is.

Some people are very addicted to the adrenaline-endorphine cycle. They enjoy pain, fear and excitement. Theirs is a cold world without it. They have to persue such activities in order to quench a desire to feel.

Oddly enough, there was a show on this type of thing on Discovery and TLC last month. One guy describe it as being incased in stone when he's not tempting fate.

A very similar reaction is noted in people with gambling problems. Somebody better keep his money for him. :D

[Merryprankster]

Well, Rhadi's main attacks have seemed to be:

Single and double
Yama Arashi/Tai Otoshi variation
Ko Soto Gari
Seio Nage.

The reason I said the single or double was because that's the only "lift" type throw I've regularly seen him use. But if he got really in on a Seio (flying mare) and just launched the guy vertical, that might cover it too.

Of course, after the flying knee drop, and the giant tiger combo to finish Akuma, he has to fight Ogre to win the game!

[Merryprankster]

Adam Archuletta weighs less the Rhadi, has a better 40 time, can bench 225 more times (as well as 530 x1 & the 40/bench were done at the combine, under pressure with all the NFL watching), can squat 650+, and I haven't seen any articles written about him being the most well conditioned athlete in the world. I'm not dissing on Rhadi either though. Those are incredible numbers which would hold up well at the combine if his other scores did too.

Wow, those are impressive numbers!!! But what does conditioning mean? Different things for different sports, you know?

In an apples to oranges comparison, Rhadi can go full blast (and I mean full) for five or six minutes straight, reaching 95% of his max heart rate, rest one minute, drop about 50 beats and do it all again. Clearly, Adam doesn't need that - and likely couldn't do it. By the same token, Rhadi can't squat 650+ either. Different training regimens and different needs build different bodies.

But considering it's hard to explain that to a lay audience.....

And Ford, my REAL problem with Iron's comments is bigger - Here's a guy who busted his ass, reached his goal, and outworks almost 100% of the population to do what he had to do....and there's always somebody out there who wants to find fault with it.

Screw that kind of negativity. The right answer was your answer - Congrats.

[3rdrateIMAkilla]

Cool videos. Those guys use their centers better than a whole lot of ICMAists, I think probably. No limits using the centers, for power orr refinemet.

[Merryprankster]

Cool videos. Those guys use their centers better than a whole lot of ICMAists, I think probably. No limits using the centers, for power orr refinemet.

That's what I've been trying to tell you....

[Ford Prefect]

Very true. Football is sprint - rest. Usually expending your max energy in a sprint for 10 seconds, resting 35-40 seconds and then doing it again on average 14 more times. I got his numbers from the combine:

6' 211 lbs
40: 4.37 seconds
bench: 225x31
Standing long jump: 10' 9"
Vertical Jump: 39"

Side note: Best squat was 663x1 and bench 530x1. This was in 2001 too...

He busts his butt to be on top just like Rhadi though. Here is a quote from him about his training:

"I just try to go to bed every night with the attitude that nobody put in more time or worked as hard as me that day."



That sums it up right there. The competitions are the easy part. Prepping for them is the hard part.

[Merryprankster]

Absolutely true!

At that level it's not an issue of "better." It's an issue of "what are you training to DO?"

I expect that if their sports were switched they'd be posting similar numbers, but in reverse.

The will to succeed is the will to prepare.

The true dichotomy I've identified is simple, but not easy:

You have to prepare like it's the most important thing in the world. You have to compete like you just don't care what's in front of you.

It's very difficult to master that.

[norther practitioner]

Wow at that one single leg...

about the 10' thing, it's not like he was saying he tossed the guy over a 10' bar, but think about it, if he got a double leg, picked the guy up to his arms at shoulder height around the other guys upper thigh, and the other guy is 6' tall, thats got to be 8' right there (the guys head elevation).

[WanderingMonk]

is the US judo trial going to be on TV?

USA supposed to be airing a bunch of Olympic trial events.

Anyone know if the judo stuff is one of them?

[YinYangDagger]

I don't think so WM. I can never find any combat type sports on TV during the Olympics. No judo, TKD, or even fencing. It's a fu(ked up deal, you'll see plenty of water polo, gymnastics, etc, but not the cool stuff :mad:

[YinYangDagger]

Also, if the football thing don't work, I'm sure he could get a good Muay Thai trainer and turn the MMA world on it's ears. Pride could be calling any day :eek:

[CaptinPickAxe]

Fencing isn't an Olympic sport?

[Ford Prefect]

CPA, he means he can never find it on tv. It's an olympic sport though.

[Chang Style Novice]

It's usually possible to get a little of the wrestling and boxing. It ain't everything, but it is something.

[Liokault]

This guy is truly amazing, but he makes me think two things.

1/ If this guy had decided to do tai chi (could be hung gar, TKD or even Wu Shu!) no one would ever doubt its combat effectivness again.

2/ Then I thought; This guy is going to be a messed up, probably devorced little old man, who needs a stair lift at about 55.

You pays your money you takes your choice.

[qeySuS]

No doubt it's unhealthy, but that can be said about ANY pro athlete. There´s nothing healthy about heavily competitives sports. Training that hard ****s your body up pretty bad, but you gotta do it if you want to be competitive at that level.

Btw Rhadi is really inspirational, i can´t see it inthat article, but i believe he´s working for a PhD in something really hard (i'm assuming this is the same article i read on MMA.tv), in that article it says something like "Physical Education" or something like that, no offense to that study, but i think i read in Lloyd Irvins email list that he was going for something crazy, like a PhD in Chemistry or Physics or something like that.

If you an be an Olympian AND a PhD in Chemistry etc, you are truly an all around badass.

[IronFist]

^ Holy **** it's qeySuS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where have you been, dude?

[qeySuS]

I´ve been around, went to USA again and such. But i´ve always been lurking around :P Full time MMA.tv ***** now.

[red5angel]

I find this extremely interesting, especially coming from you MP.

At first glance one might take this as inspirational until :


He lives at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, 2,000 miles away from his wife in Rockville.

Pain often keeps him from sleeping and forces him to endure two hours of treatment each day. He's so deep in debt that he refuses to spend money on anything other than his sport, judo.


The irony comes when you examine these statements, statements that would get MP's blood boiling and warrant a 5 page tirade:


"He takes brutal beatings," his strength coach said, "that most men wouldn't even survive."


Once this year, he picked up a 220-pound opponent and threw him 10 feet into the air.


then we can move on to the really not so inspiring:


So far this year, Ferguson estimates that he has "popped 25 arms" or dislocated 25 shoulders.


Judo has left some lasting marks on his body -- early signs of arthritis, a finger so swollen his wedding ring won't fit


and let's go with the not so smart:


Instead, Ferguson woke up at 5 a.m. after his surgery and hobbled into the weight room on his crutches. He lifted upper-body weights for more than an hour, until a combination of pain and anesthesia made his so nauseous he went to the bathroom to vomit.

I could go on but what I see is an obsessive individual who is dangerously and destructively driven. There are many more people at the top of their fields that have balance life, much more so then this guy, and are a lot more smart about the way they train.
No, I don't see a good measure of how to be or how to train in this individual, sure he wins, but destroying yourself isn't necessary for that.

[ShaolinTiger00]

Olympic judo will be shown on the Bravo channel this year as part of all the NBC networks attempt at "complete" coverage of the games.

[Shadowboxer]

Sweet!

[Ford Prefect]

ST, You have the dates and times? NBC networks has 24-hour coverage over all their channels. I'm so pumped. I love the summer games.

[ShaolinTiger00]

not yet. I'll let you know.

[rubthebuddha]

coo. post 'em in it's own thread, and we'll see about stickifying or announcerizing it. olympics MA coverage just shouldn't be missed. :)

[Merryprankster]

Red,

The reason why it sets my blood boiling most of the time is that nobody has proof. They've got 2000 year old stories and a fervent desire to believe.

I've watched the guy train and compete. So have his competitors. You want his matches on tape, there they are.

Without proof, it's bull****. With proof, it's inspiring.

So, sorry. No irony. No hypocrisy. I shouldn't have to BELIEVE that somebody did something amazing, not in MA.

[red5angel]

The reason why it sets my blood boiling most of the time is that nobody has proof. They've got 2000 year old stories and a fervent desire to believe.


fair enough, but your also quick to jump on modern claims that resemble anything like those comments. I'de even go so far as to bet taht you have probbaly laid the verbal smack down on some peeps in this forum for saying they too have witnessed some incredibel things.
You "seeing" the guy train and the guy throwing people 10 feet into the air and taken punishment that would "kill" a normal man, are two different things. That just sounds like hype to me, for example, I could believe 10 feet, if the guy were doing what he was doing in that clip you posted, and the persons feet he was flipping were 10 feet in the air. As for punishment that would kill a normal man, well, do I really need to even bring that one up?

I'm not saying what the guy can do is not incredible or certainly extremely special. I think it's can be admirable to have that sort of dedication, but in this case it's too much, and yes I do believe there is too much. Plenty of other athletes manage to balance their lives out and still excel at their chosen field of competition. Being Driven can be inspriing, letting your life fall apart around you, destroying your body in the process, and forcing yourself to take steps that are unnecessaryily risky, is foolish not admirable.

[Merryprankster]

As for punishment that would kill a normal man, well, do I really need to even bring that one up?

No. I think it's over the top. But the difference comes when people start claiming hyperbole as the truth. There's the rub. I think it's pretty clear that his trainer was just saying "Wow, he can take a beating!!!!"

You have to admit that many here say stuff like that as though it were the gospel truth - and without evidence.




You "seeing" the guy train and the guy throwing people 10 feet into the air and taken punishment that would "kill" a normal man, are two different things. That just sounds like hype to me, for example, I could believe 10 feet, if the guy were doing what he was doing in that clip you posted, and the persons feet he was flipping were 10 feet in the air.

Go get the tapes. That's the difference. "Can this guy do what other people say he does?" If you want to know, go get the tapes. They're out there, he's on them, doing this type of stuff to other people who don't want him to. Contrast that with "So and so is a badass! Watch this form! Watch the demonstration! Watch the Chi Sao!!! Watch the drills!!! He could clearly kick ass!!!"




Plenty of other athletes manage to balance their lives out and still excel at their chosen field of competition.

There's a difference between excelling and being the very best. Most of the people who are the very best are a tad *****ly and build their lives around their chosen activity. Not their self-worth, mind you, but their schedules.


but in this case it's too much

It's too much for you. For him its not. But that is one of the reasons why he is one of the best in the world and you are not. That's a non-pejoritive statement, completely and shouldn't be taken as a slight on your character - I know where you've been and how you served. It's simply a difference in your outlook on life ambitions.

[MasterKiller]

I would contrast this guy with someone like Jerry Rice, though, who was the best in the world at what he did for many years, and still performs with a high level of skill. While Rice's work ethic is astounding, he also has a sound family life and a healthy, strong body at the ripe old age of 41, even after 20 years in a heavy-hitting contact sport arena.

Of course, then you have guys like Butkus, who just wanted to hurt people, had a short career, but still has all the fame.

It takes all kinds, I suppose.

[Merryprankster]

Who is to say that Rhadi will NOT also have a sound family and a sound body? I guarentee you that Rice has body parts that give him problems, even though, generally, he is fine.

You wanna project outwards 20 years based on arthritis in his fingers, a knee surgery and a shoulder injury, be my guest. I think it's silly.

[red5angel]

but MP, we have what's his face on video, doing no touch knockouts!


It's too much for you. For him its not. But that is one of the reasons why he is one of the best in the world and you are not. That's a non-pejoritive statement, completely and shouldn't be taken as a slight on your character - I know where you've been and how you served. It's simply a difference in your outlook on life ambitions.


no, I get what you're saying, it's always subjective as a matter of what we consider a priority that's why it's hard to discuss something like this and still get anywhere. While you might think it's admirable for him to live the life he chooses, I might not. In my case atleast, I believe you could still be the at the top and live a balanced lifestyle. You always have to make sacrifices and I can understand that but you did say "That's what it takes to be the best." and I disagree.

[Merryprankster]

but MP, we have what's his face on video, doing no touch knockouts!

LOL!!!! :D


You always have to make sacrifices and I can understand that but you did say "That's what it takes to be the best." and I disagree.

You're right. I would say that. And you're entitled to your wrong opinions :D

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by Merryprankster
Who is to say that Rhadi will NOT also have a sound family and a sound body? I guarentee you that Rice has body parts that give him problems, even though, generally, he is fine.

You wanna project outwards 20 years based on arthritis in his fingers, a knee surgery and a shoulder injury, be my guest. I think it's silly. You think Jerry or Ray Lewis go through this?


Pain often keeps him from sleeping and forces him to endure two hours of treatment each day.
I just find it excessive, and from my La-Z-Boy, it sounds like unsafe training.

Like the Siddhartha overheard on the fatefull morning almost 2500 years ago. "Pull the string too tight and it breaks, leave it slack and it will not play." There is a middle path in there somewhere.

[red5angel]

You're right. I would say that. And you're entitled to your wrong opinions

if you feel that way you need to come down to Taiji Legacy and I'll show you how to grapple, it will only take me 5 minutes too!! :mad: :D

[David Jamieson]

Merry- I believe the guy trains ardantly and diligently and it clearly shows, good on him.

however, when you say:


The reason why it sets my blood boiling most of the time is that nobody has proof. They've got 2000 year old stories and a fervent desire to believe.


I think you probably haven't been looking with the right eye towards things. After all, correct me if I'm worng, but isn't judo considered a traditional and in some cases a classical martial art? In which case where's teh 2 thousand year old story there?

Frankly, I don't have a problem with histories that go back a long way, so long as the person that offers them up has diligently practiced and continues to bring the skills forward in time...where eventually they are co-opted by mmaists and called something else that will change your views on martial arts altogether! lol.

Anyway...just saying

I would also agree that although the guy is a number one position in competitive judo, he is only gonna hang onto that for a short period in his life and he is risking aspects of his later life in his what appears to be self destructive practice.

cheers

[ShaolinTiger00]

but isn't judo considered a traditional and in some cases a classical martial art?

Not at all! Judo is a gendai budo (contemporary)not a koryu (classical) bujutsu.

[Suntzu]

There is a middle path in there somewhere. its called NOT making the olympics......
I would also agree that although the guy is a number one position in competitive judo, he is only gonna hang onto that for a short period in his life and he is risking aspects of his later life in his what appears to be self destructive practice. its called MAKING history instead of just reading/watching it.....

[David Jamieson]

its called MAKING history instead of just reading/watching it.....

fair enough, but, unlike naming presidents off the top of your head, or critical turning points in history such as the a-bomb, I'm willing to bet that you, as a martial artist cannot off the top of your head go back to far and name the last 3 olympian judo champs.

So, yeah, you're going down in a record book, but weigh the value to the value.

If the guy makes the olympics and wins it! Excellent. I'm of the thinking that the sacrifices he is apparently making, hyperbole or not, are perhaps indicative of something other than what really matters...at least for me.

If he wins this year, I'll be the first one to go yeah! He did it! But if he doesn't? Does this argument still count? :p

[rubthebuddha]

kl -- that depends on who you ask, and when. if you ask him now, he'll say yes. if you ask him when he's 60 (if he lives that long) and he says yes, then the answer is pretty clear. if he says no, then who knows.

your argument is still valid, but it's what he chooses to do with himself, and it's pretty much what's required to compete at that level. so ...

[Merryprankster]

Red, when is this Taiji Legacy you speak of? I'm broken so if it's soon...

[rubthebuddha]

july 30-august 1 in dallas. i'm hoping i'm living in texas by then, cause the woman promised to take me . :D

[blooming lotus]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Merryprankster
[B]Rhadi


Next time you think you're training hard, read this. People are going to come back with "balance," but there's not a single person I've ever met at the very top of their field that has a balanced life. That's what it takes to be the best.

.........................


On his bad days, Rhadi Ferguson surveys his drab, worn-down dorm room and marvels at what becoming an Olympian cost him.

He lives at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, 2,000 miles away from his wife in Rockville. QUOTE




so from most of you he gets props for his commitment ha????...............leaves his wife and family, but because he's a male he's perfectly entitled to have a crazy unbalanced life at the expense of all else, yet I ( or probably any other fml for that matter), who do the same, are entitled to no such thing because no fml deserves a full time commitment to anything but the kitchen sink and pram pushing :rolleyes:

HYPOCRITES!!!!!!!! :eek:

[Merryprankster]

so from most of you he gets props for his commitment ha????...............leaves his wife and family, but because he's a male he's perfectly entitled to have a crazy unbalanced life at the expense of all else, yet I ( or probably any other fml for that matter), who do the same, are entitled to no such thing because no fml deserves a full time commitment to anything but the kitchen sink and pram pushing

Ah. See, here's the difference, and it's nothing to do with you being a woman.

Rhadi is a world class athlete making sacrifices for an incredible goal.

Rhadi also does not have children.

Welcome to my ignore list!

[blooming lotus]

typical defensive response..............


I have it made my asipirations in that regard clear on many occassions..........so many haters and so little time.............

thx for the support............nice indication of your sportsmanship and maturiy as a man and an athlete

[Toby]

Roflmao @ MP!

[fa_jing]

He's doing it for the most important reason: himself.

He's acheiving the greatest possible expression of himself in the area of his greatest talent. That is admirable and good to imitate.

[qeySuS]

blooming lotus: I'm sure his wife knew what she was getting into when she married Rhadi. Women are not mindless zombies without free will that just do what their man tells them to, so don´t assume that just because he´s working towards his goals which requires him to be away from things that he´s "Chaining his wife to the stove" or whatever it was you said.

YOU! Are the one dregrading women when saying that, as if they don´t have a free will and they could be tied to a stove without having anything to say about it themselves.

[fa_jing]

oh, and Sun Tzu said it....to the point my man.

[blooming lotus]

Originally posted by qeySuS
blooming lotus: I'm sure his wife knew what she was getting into when she married Rhadi. Women are not mindless zombies without free will that just do what their man tells them to, so don´t assume that just because he´s working towards his goals which requires him to be away from things that he´s "Chaining his wife to the stove" or whatever it was you said.

YOU! Are the one dregrading women when saying that, as if they don´t have a free will and they could be tied to a stove without having anything to say about it themselves.

alot of women, because of attitudes and remarks like I so often encounter here have that physcology really deeply engrained.it takes a strong personality and desire to overcome these things ( but that is life in the real world.trust me,.I'm a woman and I'm a counsellor :P)

That being said though, and in acknowledging my own daughters' free will and right to have it...I offer her the choice.............we are anything but weak spirited the both of us, I acknowledge her as a person, I acknowledge her as a woman of the future. I know you more than likely won't understand me and my persuit. I was an athlete long before she was conceived and I truly that even children should be able to exercise their free will to certain extents. My daughter is no exception, and between us there is nothing but love and mutual respect................She respects my ambitions and beliefs, and I respect her synoposis to date and need for western civilisation. Not to matter because I'll see her in only 7 weeks or so...........but if I didn't, your comments and take on the situation would STILL be no less warranted or accurate.

Why should I not persue the best me I can cultivate???...........or any other other woman for that matter.............what is predujiced...........for $500...............

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by blooming lotus

Why should I not persue the best me I can cultivate???.

because your idea of pursuing the best you you can be requires that you be on a different continent than your child...

[blooming lotus]

thankyou mister upright and knowledgable :rolleyes:

[The Willow Sword]

This thread was really good until BL decided to take a squat here and pizz all over it.:rolleyes:

Peace,,TWS

[blooming lotus]

because I'm not cultivating best, have never trained with a world - -class athlete and have nothing valid to add right???...godammned sexist biggott!!

get off your horse

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by rubthebuddha
july 30-august 1 in dallas. i'm hoping i'm living in texas by then, cause the woman promised to take me . :D You do realize that Houston is a 5-hour drive from Dallas, right? Texas is a big place, not like all those little mamby-pamby East Coast states that you can drive across in 1.5 hours.

[red5angel]

Red, when is this Taiji Legacy you speak of? I'm broken so if it's soon...

I was told not to speak of it again by the powers that be. Apprently I was drowned out by the whining in the background.


holy crap blooming lotus, why you drinking the haterade? I don't think anyone is saying that living that sort of life is male exclusive or that it's not ok for women to do it. Apprently you're not aware of the female side of athletics, you know, the gymnast, swimmers, bikers, tennis players, etc... who spend just as much time as their male counterparts playing and training for their sports?

[blooming lotus]

:rolleyes: .of course I am............where do you think I get my insprition ( at least some it anyway)...........

My post probably reads a little worse than it'd sound in person, but it's an extremely rare occasion ( own girlfriends/ partners aside) when anyone here speaks of or acknowledges , let alone posts a link to, any information regarding female athletes and their achievements..........I'm no bra burning femminist, but I do believe in equal opportunity and credit where due.

Fair call that women are out numbered on these boards ( and there's some motivational material for a minority), but we do have mutual ground on alot issues.

I don't hate , but I am passionate about discrimination in any capacity.

[red5angel]

when anyone here speaks of or acknowledges , let alone posts a link to, any information regarding female athletes and their achievements.

This isn't discrimination. Most of us are males and so we identify more with other males, hence we post more about other males. In the martial arts, women who excel tend to be the exception and not the rule. I know plenty of women who do the martial arts but their motivations tend to be different.

That's a generalization of course, plenty of women out thyere excelling at the martial arts. Not many people period taking it to the level this guy MP posted about though and I"m not sure that's a bad thing. I don't agree with the guys approach but if that's his choice then so be it.

[Merryprankster]

Hey, I've got a new debate tactic!!!

When anybody disagrees with me, I'll:

1. Brag about my incredible intelligence
2. Brag about how hot I am
3. Play the discrimination card!

That will solve EVERYTHING!!! I LOVE IT!

[Ford Prefect]

BL,

Rhadi's wife new the deal, and even now he's only 3 hours away. it's not like he upped and moved to a completely different country leaving a small child without one of his parents.

[blooming lotus]

somewhere along the way it is.............maybe it's only for the fact that there is less information available to post regarding women.......which is probably likely.........however, this forum is open to anyone and I'll take my beef and swallow it, but just dont expect me to hold any esteem to biggotry of any form.

Peace

[Chang Style Novice]

The only people I hate more than Bigots are Jews. And coloreds. And dagos. And ragheads. Oh, and slants, too, as well as wogs, frogs, limeys and spics.

[Suntzu]

:D

[red5angel]

but just dont expect me to hold any esteem to biggotry of any form.


what bigotry?

I don't hate anyone specifically, I don't like to limit my victims.

[rubthebuddha]

chang style -- if i didn't know you were texan and, as such, physically incapable of racism, i'd kick your ass back to the stone age for that last bit.

know who i hate? artists. :D

[MasterKiller]

Texans incapable of racism? Have you ever actually been to Texas?

It's like a big rodeo down there, except you replace the clowns with Mexicans.

[The Willow Sword]

so who here is fired up for the Olympics in Athens? i know i am.
i hope security there is good. i would hate to see our athletes have to contend with the sh!theads.

Greece has actually been doing rather well in futbol.


Peace,,TWS

[rubthebuddha]

mk -- dust off your sarcasm meter and give it some fresh batteries.

i've been to texas about 8 times in the past few years. not my favorite place, but oh well. and yeah, i know about the racism. i even get bugged because i shave my head. in washington, white guys with shaved heads are commonplace. in texas? i get stared at everywhere i go.

[The Willow Sword]

rubthebuddha you seem to think that texas is devoid of shaven heads and that is simply not the case,,,in Austin Anyway.
Why just the other day at the movies i saw these two shaven head goatee lookin choads with beautiful girls in their arms.
that roughneck bald bad boy look is alive and well down here.

PEACE,,TWS

[red5angel]

as far a sshaven heads go Texas is way ahead of the curve, it's been in vogue down there since the 70s I think!

[MasterKiller]

No self-respecting Oklahoman ever dusts his sarcasm meter! :mad: