An accomplished mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, Josh Barnett has been a champion in both the United States and Japan. Josh is also well known in Japanese professional wrestling and on a personal level is vocal fan of anime, manga and heavy metal.

I thought it would be interesting to talk to Josh for Mouths of Men, given that he has coaches many high level female fighters over the years.

In your opinion, what makes a woman beautiful?

For me it’s a blend of confidence, smarts, humor and sexuality topped off with that thing about them you just can’t put your finger on. I think it’s something you notice right away, as well. In terms or shear physical attributes I’d have to say I am an ass man. A nice behind is the kind of thing you either have or you don’t. Call it “the foundation.” Ha. Overall, though, I am an unabashed connoisseur of the female form.

Do you think it’s hard for men to see women as both physically strong and beautiful? Why?

It is and I know it is by conversations I have had with other men about dating strong women, especially physically. I won’t play dime-store psychology here and attribute it to some psychological condition having to “Viss your muzzah,” but I’ll say that to many men a woman of high physicality and hardness doesn’t appeal to their ideals of what femininity is. Some go as so far as to make it an issue of their own sexuality being endangered by the aspect of what they perceive as male characteristics in a woman.

I myself have never had any issues with this and have dated many athletic women. When I mean athletic I mean ripped, lean, dead lifting 405lbs, or fighters, etc. Hardcore athletes. No matter how strong or physical these women were I never felt my masculine sexuality at risk, nor that I would be eclipsed in some way by them in terms of strength or physicality. Honestly, I find athleticism can be very attractive and let’s face it, sex is physical, too. If they can’t keep up, well, no use for that in my life. Hahaha!

Would you date (or would you have dated) a girl with ripped arms and a six pack? Is there a point where it’s too much?

Several women I have dated have had six packs for days and have almost shamed me into keeping my shirt on and arms hidden around them. LOL. I have also dated women who were heavily tattooed, pierced, black, mixed, Asian, short, tall and so on. I’ve always had a very broad and open mind to what I find appealing. I am sure for anyone there is a point when things have gone too far and I think that’s truly an issue of “Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder.”

I don’t see why anyone would want to go to extreme lengths to make themselves outlandish with such a drastic course of action, but to each their own. Anyone I date I know I wouldn’t be dating them if I didn’t find them attractive. Even still, the thing about physical beauty I have found is that no matter how gorgeous someone may be that doesn’t mean that they are sexy. Being sexy to me isn’t a physical state but an attitude and how one carries themselves. Being hot physically is one thing, but being sexy is harder to find and in my opinion more valuable and not reliant on a particular physical trait or traits.

What percentage intelligence and what percentage beauty would your ideal woman be? (i.e. 50% each, 90% hot, etc)

They need them both and I don’t see a reason why they couldn’t have both. I know I have met plenty of women that do and I wouldn’t settle for anything less. Without intelligence I wouldn’t bother to “date” someone nor would I if I didn’t find them not just attractive but sexy, hot.

Has your appreciation for beauty and/or intelligence in a woman changed as you have gotten older?

Sure but then all of our ideas about such things change with age whether someone would say it was for the better or worse. I will say I have placed much more emphasis on the intelligence portion of things as at 33 as I don’t have the want to hang around someone I can’t converse with on a similar level. I think that social expectations of relationships as one gets older play a large factor in this for most as well.

Describe your ideal woman in one sentence.

The one that makes you dream about her even while I lie next to her at night.

Sometimes being “old fashioned” can be a good thing. Are there any aspects of a woman that you prefer to be old-fashioned?

Old fashioned is really relative, but I appreciate a woman who allows a man to be a man. Men and women often don’t understand one another very well, but there are things that women should pay attention to to make sure not to take away his self-respect and respect publicly and socially. That may mean allowing him to act in a way that it may not be the way you would do things, but to allow him to do so anyways. Men and women have their characteristics and even if we don’t “get it” necessarily we still need to be allowed to be who we are.

Men need to allow women to be themselves and to be treated with respect. A man’s actions should help a woman to feel just that: like a woman. No matter how athletic she may be that doesn’t mean she wants to be treated like a man or that she has abandoned her femininity.

Have you ever been intimidated by a woman?

Women were very intimidating to me as a kid but that really had more to do with my own self esteem than a woman’s “aura”. I couldn’t talk to them let alone ask one out or make a move on a girl. Those were dark days for dating. Haha! Reading ton’s of comics and playing Dungeons & Dragons I am sure didn’t help.

Women can still make me feel clumsy, nervous or even speechless but intimidated isn’t one of them. Now if they were pointing a Gatling gun at me I might pee myself just a little.

Have you ever been inspired by a woman?

Absolutely. From my fighters I’ve trained to other athletes, writers, artists. Inspiration doesn’t know gender.

What would you do if your daughter came home as a teenager, dating a guy who was like YOU as a teenager?

HA! If I had a teenage daughter she’d never come home with a guy like me because he’d be too scared to talk to her!

What single piece of advice would you give women when it comes to men?

Above all, be true to yourself and what you believe and you’ll likely never steer yourself too wrong. People think of you what you think of yourself.

For more on Josh, visit his website at www.joshbarnett.tv.