josh ‘The Warmaster’ barnett

BIO

“People need heroes - they need to see the man in the arena that represents an ideal and something to strive for. We’ve all become so distracted, nihilistic, low hope. Whatever you call it, spirituality or something else people need something meaningful in their lives. Some people turn to a deity but this isn’t about that.”

Of course, for Josh Barnett being the man in the arena isn’t just a figure of speech. Spend any time with him and you get the immediate sense that there isn’t much that he says lightly. The arena he’s referring to is a reference to US President Theodore Roosevelt’s belief that it isn’t the critic who counts but,’ the man whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.’ And for Josh Barnett, the dust, sweat and blood isn’t a figure of speech either.

It’s almost impossible to summarise the kind of fighter he is, or indeed the amount of arenas he’s stepped into. He’s a chiseled 6’3 behemoth who’s forgotten more about hand-to-hand combat that most people will ever know - a master mixed martial artist better described as a Nietzsche-quoting warrior poet with a profound understanding of Eastern philosoph who’s equally committed to refinement of the mind and inspiring others to do the same. His astonishing resume speaks for itself - Josh isn’t just a fighter, he’s a one man army. 

At the age of 24 he became the youngest ever UFC Heavyweight Champion. In 2009 he earned a gold medal at the World No Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship. He’s been a finalist with Japan’s PRIDE and Strikeforce, and has fought with Affliction, World Victory Road, DREAM, Metamoris and Impact FC, and then there’s the wrestling: Josh is a household name in Japan, where he’s gone against the ropes for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Inoki Genome Foundation, and more. With a staggering total of 43 career wins there’s a reason he’s one of the most respected fighters in the world - hard graft, total commitment, and a spark that started at home: the clue’s in Josh’s nickname, The Warmaster.

It’s taken from a song by classic British heavy metal band Bolt Thrower who theme their music on the mythos inspired by Warhammer, a popular tabletop strategy game. Josh is a lifelong heavy metal fan - the son of a blue collar worker whose stoicism and physical toughness laid a the granite foundation for what would come later. The real fire was stoked by a childhood imagination fuelled by a heavy diet of Dungeons and Dragons, Jon Woo films and the almighty Iron Maiden - fantasy worlds where heroic archetypes ruled the day, the weak are protected by the strong, and the power of the mind is as important as the speed of your fists.

“Being in a ring fighting another human being - fighting for my life, for my living - it’s the moment I feel the most in tune with my being. It’s something Nietzsche described as the highest state of existing”

“Those moments of combat that I feel like I’ve tapped into something deep. Maybe I sound mad, but it’s really this world that’s untenable. We’re so distracted these days by grain feed entertainment and social media engagement we can’t see past the instagram filters. What kind of example does that set? In the ring there’s an inescapable honesty people are unfamiliar with - no gimmicks.”

In a world where instagram followers distract from real-world achievements and celebrity culture has taken over where actual talent used to reign supreme, Josh Barnett is a throwback and the way forward, and more people are joining his tribe every day.

“You can have a facade but when someone puts the hurt on you it falls away. Fighting destroys the superficial, the masks we wear - it’s honest, and that’s something that drives people towards this and that’s what drives me, too”

Words by Alex Milas | Twin V