Beard Of The Month - July 2013 - Josh Tyler
Meet our July 2013 Beard of the Month! This is Josh Tyler, an MMA fighter and trainer. He considers himself a fighter and a lover, as well as a man of God. Josh grew up in Virginia and graduated from Old Dominion University where he also wrestled. Once graduated, he returned to the high school he attended to teach and coach. This is when he began his journey through Mixed Martial Arts. When it came down to it, fighting took precedence over teaching, so he made a move to Utah to train further and now resides there with his wife and dog. Josh and his beard spend their free time in the mountains, camping and hiking. They also take pleasure in things like painting, sketching, and playing the harmonica. Josh says, "You cannot walk toward something, without first walking away from something else.”
Keep reading to learn more about Josh and his beard!
Name: Josh Tyler
Age: 28
How long have you been growing your beard?: I had my first beard upon exiting the womb. The doctor gave me my first shave with a straight razor right then and there and I have been growing my beard off and on ever since. As for this particular iteration, its been growing for about 7 months now. After experiencing a winter in Utah sans beard, I decided that this year I would shoot for a more substantial growth for my outdoor adventures.
Why are you growing your beard?: I am growing my beard because my beard is in fact, growing me. After I finished wrestling in college (where regulations mandate that you cannot have any facial hair) I started committing to fuller and more intense beards. From that point on, having a beard has opened the doors to meet new people and provided many interesting and challenging opportunities. For example, my beard won me a role as an extra in the move Lincoln. If you know where to look, you can spot my furry face in a couple scenes in the film. I am always looking for my next bearded adventure and look forward to all the places my beard will take me.
Have you won or placed in any competitions?: Thus far, I have only competed in one beard competition; The 1st Annual Utah Beard Competition. I was fortunate enough to win "Most Petable Beard", which was open to all competitors from any category. I also took 4th place in the Full Groomed Division, so all in all I'm pretty pleased with my beard's performance.
How did you find out about the bearding community?: I actually only stumbled upon the bearding community by chance. I happened to be walking down the street and someone complimented my beard. She asked if I was growing it for the competition, to which I replied, “What competition?”. It was then that I looked into the event being held by the Utah Beardsman Alliance and began my foray into the wonderful world of bearding. There I was introduced to some awesome people within the community.
Do you belong to any beard club?: I do not belong to any beard clubs at the moment, so I guess you could say I'm a free agent. Obviously the Utah Beardsman Alliance is a likely choice, but there is also a strong beard organization back in my home state of Virgina, so I'm not sure who to go with. Is it possible to be a part of more than one?
Is shaving anywhere in your future (I hope not!)?: Unfortunately, there is a pretty good chance that I will be shaving my beard soon, simply for the sake of training. I had an injury that prevented me from working out for a while, so I let my beard grow. Now that I am better, I will resume my normal training schedule and will most likely have to trim it back a bit. While a strong beard has its advantages in the fighting world, an excessively long beard can become quite cumbersome and inconvenient. The good news is that much like Frosty The Snowman, it will be back again someday.
What is the best compliment your beard has received?: One of the best and most common compliments I get, is that I resemble the Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World”. I don't always receive compliments, but when I do, they are usually about my beard. Another one is from several of my training partners, who claim that my beard makes me “unchokable”. This is an absolute, 100%, truth fact.
What have you gained from the bearding community?: Even with just the limited experience I have with the community, I have gained new friends and a new found respect for the commitment and dedication of its members. Having a world class beard is no easy task, and just like anything in which one wishes to excel, you have to put in the time and work. While I have little aspirations of attaining that level of bearded majesty, I do appreciate the acceptance and overall friendliness of the community, and I think we could all learn something from that.
Are there any competitions that we can find you at in the near future?: I don't have anything planned as of now, however I am hoping to have another fight sometime this fall. For those interested in my upcoming endeavors and everyday shenanigans, you can follow me on Twitter @joshtyler145.
Congratulations to Josh, our July 2013 Beard Of The Month! If you are interested in throwing your own beard in the ring, contact us here.
