Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov is a Russian professional mixed martial artist with the best takedowns and best beard in the business Khabib was born on September 20,1988, in the village of Sildi in Tsumadinsky District of the Dagestan, ASSR. His father’s family later moved from Sildi, Tsumadinsky District, to Kirovaul, where his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, converted the ground floor of their two-story building into a gym. At the age of eight, Khabib started his study of martial arts under the tutelage of his father, a decorated athlete with expertise in martial and combat fighting arts.

Khabib’s apprenticeship included wrestling a bear when he was nine years old! As a result of his intense childhood martial arts training, Khabib became a fierce champion in wrestling, judo and combat sambo. Khabib started his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career 2008, and a perfect 16-0 record in the regional circuits of Russia and Ukraine was enough to get a call up from the UFC in 2011. Khabib is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion. He holds the longest undefeated streak in MMA with 27 wins and no losses. Thanks to his bear beard, Khabib Nurmagomedov might be the only man in the world who has both the grappling ability and stunning looks of a bear.

Who Cares More?
The Beards and Those Who Love Them

by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard

This is one time you will find yourself in front of an article asking the question, ‘so, what was the tip here?’ We are known to cover just about every issue, problem, malady that whiskers suffer; one thing however stands out as the first line of action in Man Mane magnificence.

Spouses and Significants, you are 8x more likely to be the catalyst, decision maker and influencer of how your whiskered man appears, styles, maintains and enhances his face. We found that figure amongst recent results conducted from ou Pinterest Beardsley board found at The Beard Channel / WWWhiskers.

It’s not that men care less about how they look, or don’t seem to have a sense of what they look like equals who they are. If you as beard carer and beard lover get that man praised up, primped up, photoed up they obviously care – or, maybe it’s a confidence builder for them to have you fuss over their beard with praise. We all need praise sometime.

Guys are fairly new to the experience of cross-complimenting, and when it happens, we don’t shout it from the rooftops that our co-worker, best bud, fellow outdoors explorer or workout coach has the best looking fur face this side of a grizzly bear. A beard nod makes the easy and almost unnoticeable affirmative remark, and does it ever connect between us. For the die-hard, never-say-shave, bearded forever freak ...we do compliment, openly.

Of those like us, we run in a weird pack. We are objects of our whiskered goals and biggest cheerleader – a left / right brain support system. Others similarly wired: Slavic / Russian / Jewish / Arab theologians and their Orthodox followers, Hippies (yes, they still exist) and ‘awoke’ Hipsters, the ‘Bears’ (gays who embrace their hirsute nature and promote it), Rock – Reggae – Beat-nick musicians, Special Forces (and the military who wish they were Special Forces), Writers, Teachers and Artists, certain tribal enclaves like the Japanese Ainu who revere their beard heritage, the IBRBS (International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas) and their ilk. Quite a hodgepodge, but added up, it is a strong, supportive following.

All of the above men plus all of the ladies in the lives of bearded men keep us aware of ourselves and our presentation of self that others see. Still some of us know strongly and deliberately who we are and what that image is, without waiver. It serves us in unspoken ways but empowers us out and about. It is why Beards keep growing, thriving and proliferating with no sign of change.

Every whisker awakens each man and man-child to his identity and character. The more we see it, the more they see it too, and can come to understand that the shedding boy-turned-man has a place to be unique to the world, and interwoven in the brotherhood of manhood as his right of passage evolves.

Who does care more? It’s a collective. You give us encouragement and we bring the best a man can give you, by nature. Thriving works best when pruned at times to enhance growth and density, and is riskiest when repeatedly shorn to the ground; for the state of what is can not continually recover from what should be.

Barbers At Their Best: Beard Respect in the Middle East

by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard Advocate

From the beginning of my own Beard Journey as Advocate way back in 1987, the first question needing an answer was all about ancestry. What was the whisker make-up of my family tree? Other than Uncle Clifford and his look-alike Cousin Illidio (Leo) plus Uncle Joe’s eldest sons Joe and Lester on the maternal Frank / Vital branch, razors appeared to win the battle of the face. The Alley / Edwards paternal realm gave me a glimpse many years later thanks to my sister having run into a family friend in the family enclave of Downeast Maine (the realm from the Canadian borders at Eastport to Deer Isle, the full right side of the state’s Atlantic Ocean coast).

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Capellierra owner, Gus

Dad comes from a very long line of shaven US Coast Guardsmen going all the way back to the USS Constitution–the historic ship in Boston Harbor that anchors the founding of the ‘fifth branch of military service’ since 1790. However dad’s side had quite a few family history reporters through the years, one of which published the Alley Family Book, and in there was a face I recognized—Ephraim—bearing my visage in the late 1890s.

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Barber Waseem

I have bloodlines that course through the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus central Asia. Meeting up with Waseem, one of the two extraordinary Barbers of Cappelliera’s Barber Salon, was a ‘kismet’ moment. A talent such as his, surviving war-torn Lebanon and set free to escalate to the service of the elite in Kuwait had much to tell me about his personal grooming in the trade and the deepest philosophies in its success.

He is earliest experience started at the age of 14 when a decision to learn the barbering trade was made, mentoring with an uncle. Two years of shop upkeep eventually led to cutting, but only to closest family. Waseem admits his uncle was steadfast in having him learn from family and not make mistakes with clients – especially in the maintenance of the beard. Middle Eastern culture runs stronger on tradition and respect, so a mistake in facial hair styling is not only costly, but highly offensive. Waseem was free to cut hair about a year later.

Upon return from military service, he relocated to Kuwait. The tiny nation had much better conditions – far less conflict, awash with money, influence and business. Working a deal with a friend to grow his skill and reach through up-market outlets, the duo were barber celebrities. However, Waseem was from the start at a disadvantage; being non-Kuwaiti he was not allowed to own the proprietary physical business and ended up losing his trade and cash.

In Texas, Gus was contacted by Waseem who was just weeks into landing in Austin, looking for his first job American opportunity. Gus says that a person’s overall presence and personality resonate big with him, and this Jordanian hair master had every endearing quality the barber salon needed to grow his new businesses responsibly Gus also faced big hurdles before opening; a major water main leak caused months of delay and a departure of a co-owner and his barber crew. Waseem had to fill big shoes alongside a 30+ year veteran of hairstyle and owner of his own shops in Florida, a man locally known by the nickname Trust.

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Barber Trust

Waseem fits the Cappelliera Way–Capp’s style and brand of service to customers. For the bearded who visit the salon which come from all over Greater Austin (“from Buda to Killeen” as Gus notes), he’s grown a massive clientèle and lives with a crowded appointment book. The shop’s reputation has brought customers from none other than the Austin Facial Hair Club—the world famous bearded gents who largely comprised Whisker Wars on cable TV.

I—like all my serious bearded brothers—won’t let just anyone work their magic on these whiskers. The dude or lady holding the scissors and electric shears must earn my trust before they touch. All that Gus, Trust and Waseem have collectively grown and nurtured from years of understanding, expertise and respect represent the foundation of great service, and they’re talking growth with sculpting new barbers in the Capp’s Way of grounded, successful barbering. For more catch this month’s Radio Beardsley with Gus, Trust and Waseem.