Meet Our Masters - Jason Ahipene - Western Australia

1. What got you into Calisthenics? What were you doing before? Did you have to sacrifice for a career in Calisthenics? My first encounter with Calisthenics as a sport and a lifestyle was when I was sitting at work with my good mate Tony surfing Youtube, we came across a clip of Hannibal for King and Hit Richards defying gravity in a local park. At the time I had stopped playing sport, had run a few half marathons, one full marathon (realised that I didn’t want to be a long distance runner) and was searching for something physical to do that didn’t involve going into a gym filled with machines! As soon as I saw Hannibal & Hit Richards in full beastmode, I was hooked and I ran down to the local park the next morning and proceeded to smash the basics day in, day out. Ultimately my love of Calisthenics is what made me decide to pack in my well paid but desk bound resources ‘Information Management’ role and pursue my passion. No easy choice when you are first and foremost a father with a family & mortgage to support, but I love what I do and by pursuing my passion I believe I am being a good role model for my daughter.

2. Are you from a sporting background? For most of my life I have done something, I have had periods of physical inactivity like most people but generally I have always tried to maintain some degree of fitness. As a child I did both gymnastics and Kempo Karate & Gung Fu. Unfortunately I couldn’t continue to do both so I gave up gymnastics as my best mate was also doing Karate and I wanted to be like Bruce Lee. I saw that through until I was a black belt at the age of 13. Karate was also my first exposure to being a coach as I often would take the younger kids and newer adults through their paces. After Karate I played Rugby and Touch Rugby which is pretty standard for lots of Kiwi kids considering that Rugby is almost a religion back in NZ. I also did the usual gym thing as well, lifting weights and like most young men I had my periods where I became obsessed with getting swole. After a few years living in Perth Australia, I went back to playing Rugby after a long time out of the game. I did that for about 5 years before I stopped playing and took up running before being exposed to Calisthenics. 3. What is it about Calisthenics that appealed to you? What motivates you to do it every day? I loved the fact that you could do it anywhere & everywhere. After playing sport & then running outdoors the thought of going into a normal gym in air-conditioning, fluorescent lighting, filled with machines & disconnected people just didn’t appeal to me at all. I also loved the fact that it’s not as straightforward as putting more weight on a bar, you have to think about what you are doing in order to progress. Initially when I started I trained by myself as I didn’t know anybody else doing it but it wasn’t too long before I started to meet other people doing Cali as well. It’s amazing the bond that is formed so quickly when you meet other people who do this as well, you become part of a community which is isn’t just a local community either it’s global. I have friends all over the world that are all connected by this one thing we love. It’s a brotherhood, a sisterhood it’s a way to connect and break down barriers. I can’t talk about motivation without mentioning my people, the people I train, the people I train with, the people I talk to every week and the community we have formed. They drive me to push harder as I do them and nothing makes me happier than when I see that person get their first MuscleUp, a Flag, a Lever or maybe it’s that they managed to do a push-up for the first time in their lives! 4. What equipment is used in Calisthenics, and what does someone need to give it a go? Are there particular physical attributes? Is it all upper body strength? Calisthenics can be done anywhere using a bar, a wall, the floor. All you need to be able to give it a go is the desire to do so, it’s as simple as that. One of the good things about Calisthenics is that all different body types can give it a go, yes there is a lot of upper body strength required/developed but however there is a lot of core and leg strength that can be developed as well. It’s all about what you as an individual wish to work on. 

5. What is your favourite element/style of calisthenics, I probably tend to favour the static strength elements of Calisthenics. I use and train on all apparatus, bars, the floor, P-bars, Rings etc. The feeling of being able to control ones own bodyweight in defiance of gravity is an amazing thing. In short I love it all and want it all haha. 6. What are the origins of Calisthenics, and what is your countries scene like? Calisthenics originated in ancient Greece which is also where Gymnastics origins are from. The word Calisthenics is actually derived from the ancient greek words ‘Kalos’ (beauty) and ‘Thenos (Strength) Australia is really in it’s infancy when it comes to Calisthenics or ’Street Workout’ at this stage but it is rapidly becoming more popular and more well known which is a fantastic thing. 7. Where has Calisthenics taken you? What countries and great places have you been as a result? Any stories from interesting places or situations you’d like to share? I haven’t travelled internationally for Calisthenics as yet but I have travelled to Sydney and Melbourne for it. Everywhere I go I train Calisthenics though Gold Coast, Bali, back home in New Zealand. 8. Is Calisthenics mostly practiced in urban spaces, or are the good places in nature to practice (rocks, trees for examples?). Do you feel connection to the natural world, or have an opinion on climate change or other natural world issues? Calisthenics is generally practiced in urban areas, indeed what we do is often described as urban calisthenics or street workout. However you can literally do this anywhere. A sturdy tree branch can be a pull-up bar. You could do an elbow lever or a planche on a rock. Whenever I get the chance I love to train outdoors, however having said that I’m lucky enough to spend my working days teaching Calisthenics in one of the best movement facilities one could hope for in Movement Co. Climate change is a scary thing man, it’s hard to know everything there is about how our entire ecosystem and how it is being affected. Much less what we as individuals can do about it, but it’s important that we all try to do what we can and that we continue to put pressure on governments & corporations to effect as much meaningful change as possible. 9. Can you describe some of the common moves in Calisthenics, and maybe give an example exercise readers can try at home to give them a taster for Calisthenics The basics of Calisthenics are pretty simple, most people would have done them already, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, planks etc. One of the great things about Calisthenics is how much core strength you develop, so here’s a simple exercise you can do at home called the Hollow body. Firstly lay down on the floor on your back, placing your hands by your side. Pull your legs up off the floor, sucking in your belly, bending at the knees and then roll your shoulders up off the floor. Your hands also come off the floor. Make sure your lower back is pressed into the floor and your head is off the ground. Hold for 30 seconds. Too easy? Then straighten out your legs and lower them towards the floor without letting them touch the ground. Make sure your belly is still sucked in and your lower back is pressed into the ground. Still too easy? Then lift your arms overhead and try for a minute making sure you don’t hold your breath, your belly is still sucked in and your lower back stays connected to the ground the whole time. 10. How would you like to see your country's Calisthenics scene progress? I would love to see bar parks set up in every neighbourhood so that everybody has access to being able to do Calisthenics. Think of the community’s that could be built around this, we live in a pretty disconnected society these days where obesity is rife, people communicate more via phones & tablets more than they do in person. Lets make a change for our children and our children’s children. I would also love to see Australia and New Zealand hosting international Street Workout Competitions, hopefully it’s only a matter of time. 11. Any big plans for the future? Get out into the community and get bar parks built, provide education on how to use these facilities and to educate Personal Trainers on how to teach Calisthenics to the public. Keep developing the training programs at Movement Co and to hopefully be involved in getting international competitions in Australia and New Zealand.