This email might get me pillioried from several, indeed, many quarters - so be it. Hehe. Let the fun - BEGIN!

Most of you on this list likely have heard of Matt Furey. 

Most of you that are reading this "on the internet", likely have no clue who the dude is.

Well, he wrote a bestselling book years ago, and he is the guy I freely credit in 0 Excuses Fitness, Pushup Central, and a few other of my books as being the guy who while he did NOT (and credit where it's due, Matt never claimed this either) - "invent" some of the exercises he taught and (apparently) made millions from, IS the guy who "brought them to the mainstream". 

That don't mean he's the be all and end all of bodyweight fitness. 

No. 

In my case, I believe it was a case of the student besting the teacher at a lot of what he did - and then bringing that to the world. 

I dont think Matt would mind at all - that is the goal any good "shifu" should have. 

No, I was never training under Matt directly, and as he once said years ago, "unless you're in direct contact with me, you're NOT being trained by me". 

I think he said "Im not your mentor unless.." 

And again, he's right. 

But I've followed the guy with much interest for years, and I've discussed him with my list, and people in general ... 

On the internet, and even with family etc (I remember my wife once saying it, I remember some people on the list saying it) - 

"Fat" seems to be the #1 gripe people have with him. 

Admittedly he's never looked in super shape - even when creating that bestselling book. 

And of course, you've got bazillions of fools doing the same as they do with my books, i.e. whining about price. 

Now, me, if you were to ask me in one word? 

I'd reply thus - LEGEND. 

Then I'd tell you this too. 

"That don't mean I agree with everything he says and does". 

What do I mean? 

Let me explain. 

First off, guy's got WAY too much weight around him - not necessarily "now" (he's pushing 60 now) - I'm talking back in the day to be considered a serious bodyweight enthusiast. 

That said, he could still do things with his body flexibility wise with all that weight that supposedly "fitter" people couldn't, so he's got it right there... 

But really, some of the stuff he's put out in the past, he looks like a lard ass, and has admitted as much in his own emails. 

But that ain't my main gripe with him. 

Hey. 

I get it. 

Matt got married, and stopped being "wild" - if he ever was. 

Read THIS post. 

Hey. 

It happens!

I dont know if its just he eats too much or what it is though ... but the weight is an issue. 

Anyway - that ain't my concern, never was. 

What I really don't agree with him about - or didnt back in the day was his constant insistence on "China being the be all and end all of everything". 

Several folks have noticed this too, and if you've followed the guy, you'll know that "if it wasn't china related, it wasn't worth it, period". 

He literally took the "ancient Chinese mystique" thing to giddy limits, and it was laughable. 

A customer of mine once asked me this. 

"I dont know why Matt is so China centric either, I know he married a Chinese lady, but he's a rich man, he can live anywhere he likes, but yet he choses to live in the good ole U.S.A,so China must not be all that great a place to live, maybe?  I dont know about you, but if I had a choice, my vote would be from the U.S.A. anyday". 

Hey. 

My vote would ALWAYS be for the U.S.A, I think everyone knows that. Dont get me wrong, China has some great things about it, but overall, good ole Texas and the USA , nothing beats "home" as it were. 

Matt from what I understand does have a home in China too, but it's more like a vacation apartment or something ... 

I dont know, I could keep putting out stuff on, and I'd be from a certain perspective justified, given all the stuff I get about "you look like a movie star!" - or "you're an Indian porn star!" - or "is that a cock ring for your 10 inch..." (Marc, you'll never live that one down, LOL!) (he was referrng to a bracelet I was wearing in the boxing ring) ... 

... I could put out a book on (with justifiable techniques) "ancient INdian Baba techniques to sport a 10 inch monster you know what and have the ladies SCREAMING for more" or some such rubbish (Matt put out something about "Chinese culture secrets" which used to be marketed the same way) ..... 

But,well, I never have, it doesnt seem too keeping it real to me!

Maybe marketing wise it worked for him. 

Hell, what do I know. 

But here's why I really respect the dude - 

He's been through some dark, dark, times and he PERSEVERED to see (finally) the light. 

Both financially, life wise, and otherwise... 

He knows what the word "struggle" means. A lot of people really dont. 

He's spoken about being so hungry in the past he;d look through boxes of old coins - hey. I get it. I've been there too many times!

I respect the guy for that - and just because, despite all his flaws, and we ALL have them, I find him INSPIRING. 

He'd no doubt read some of this and say "Well, Rahul, I made a million dollars - you haven't - YET". 

Yet being key. 

Hehe. (not that that was ever a goal for me, I dont know if it is now)

But anyway, some other things I dont agree with him about ... 

One being his constant insistence on pushups - which is great. 

In one of his videos he says ... 

"I'm not saying pull-ups are bad. They're great, and you need to figure out a way to include them in your own training" - but then he goes on to say "you dont see the Hindu wreslters do pushups! All over the world, wrestlers and boxers do nothing but pushups, squats and bridging". 

Um. 

TRADITIONAL Hindu wrestlers don't, yes. 

The modern day Olympic wrestlers in India do tons of 'em, and look at their cores. 

Traditional Hindu wrestlers do plenty of other stuff though, digging with a hoe in the mud pits of India, climbing ropes - doing monkey runs - and so forth ... 

And Matt, and I've always said this - this is a huge "no no" I've always had about the guy. 

I've never seen him, despite being a self proclaimed bodyweight guru, do ONE single pull-up. 

I think there was a picture of him doing a half pull-up in one of his newsletters. But thats it. 

i've never seen him do ONE pull-up. 

Or a dead hang. 

I truly believe the excess flab around his midsection is what prevents it. 

In his books where he references pull-ups, his webmaster Eddie Baran (in super shape) does the pull-ups, which to me is not keeping it real, if I'm writing a book, I want to be the one doing the exercises and workouts, simple as that. 

Now dont get me wrong. 

Matt's a college level wrestler. 

For that alone, I tip my hat off to him - that is one of the hardest things to do, period. 

I dont know so much about the "shuai jiao" championship he won in China - I'll let that one be, but college level wrestling in the good ole USA, and I believe Matt at one point had Dan Gable, a verified, bonafide LEGEND as a trainer ... well, that alone demands RESPECT. 

More than that, the way he sold his books, has been in the trenches, etc ... 

But pull-ups? 

Sorry to say it, but Matt ain't got it, and as a customer whose opinion I'll always respect once told me. 

"I have to agree with your assessment of Matt, I dont think he's in any condition to do pull-ups". 

And if you're not doing pull-ups like a stud, you're not a fitness expert, period. Sorry to say it, but it's true ... 

That doesn't mean he doesnt have other skills. He does. 

But, not doing pull-ups, not being in shape to do them, putting out lousy videos i.e. form of pushups etc...then doing pushups on boards, with implements etc "because it's tougher" - no it aint - the humble pushup done on the floor is the toughest, period, while pushup boards might be great, I've found they end up emphasizing the stronger muscles of your body more and increase imbalance ... 

Those are the reasons I dont agree with him. 

Overall though? 

In one word, and again?

Legend!

And I freely credit him in my books and courses for much more than just the "royal court" he brought to the world all those years ago. 

I truly do believe you can respect someone greatly, and yet disagree with them on many things. 

OK, thats finally off my chest. 

BAck soon!

Best

Rahul Mookerjee

PS - The 0 Excuses Fitness System has been turning weaklings into wimps, studs into super studs, gurus into super gurus and more - if you're into fitness, and since you're on this list you are, you'll want to invest in this NOW.