Ok, hang on a moment, who is Smoove Guillotine?
Oh hi, my name is Gilberto Lara aka Smoove Guillotine, I have been on this planet earth for 27 years. My family is from El Salvador, Central America. I am all about calisthenics. Whenever I get the chance, I am practicing, and walking on my hands or swinging the bars. I have lived my whole life in the city of Los Ángeles, and just moved to Burnsville Minnesota, which is a gigantic change. Something I still am getting used to. I moved to continue to pursue certifications that will help me eventually open my own gym and to focus on my freestyle training. I will become one of the muscle beach legends that helped our calisthenics community grow and helped the sport gain recognition. So, let's get ready, we still got some work to do! It is a relatively young sport. But once you get hooked, you are challenged to raise the bar, literally and as a matter of speaking.
Can you tell us something about calisthenics, what it is, means to you and how you got into it? Calisthenics translates from the Greek language, which means "beautiful strength". It is essentially anything that has to deal with body weight and movements such as sports, dancing, or climbing. I have always done calisthenics, since I could walk. I remember that, as a child the most natural thing for me and my cousins to do, was to run around the yard and climb the trees, which eventually led us to climbing the roof by shimmying up a pole. I have always been a thrill seeker.
You are part of the Crew “Bar Boogie mofos” @barboogie, and one of the founders? How did Bar Boogie start and what is your crew all about? I was 24 years old, and I had ended a relationship that I was in since I was 17 and on top of that quit my job, because I was tired of my time being wasted at a company that didn’t appreciate my work. So, I had to swallow my pride and move back in, with my parents who lived in West Covina, at the time. My friend Jessee de Paz aka Barboogie Jay was also getting out of a relationship at the same time.
I felt free, so at this point of my life I was enjoying every moment of it. But, I needed a job and Jessee suggested to try a new work app. called https://www.wonolo.com. This is how we got to work together, and made money, with work all around LA.
One day, Jessee figured out that there was going to be a cool meet up at Venice Beach, supposedly bringing together a lot of talented people, that do more than “just” pull ups on the bars. That day was December 11, 2016. I saw how fit and in shape everyone was and how friendly the crew in Venice was, it was like paradise with everyone defying gravity; then I noticed some people doing freestyle on the bars. Everyone that was on the bars was doing 360s and all these other tricks I had never seen, but blew my mind. All I was ever used to seeing was skating, but this was different and it was also beneficial. I never thought that I was going to start my own crew until Juan Carlos started training with us. We heard about the annual Venice beach calisthenics jam that goes on at Venice beach, every May. So we said we would sign up as a three man crew named Barboogie. Our idea was always simply to inspire and have fun doing our freestyles. Doing tricks how we wanted to do it and not like everyone else is doing it. That’s what made it fun and special for us. Our team mate Juan aka JC El Pakas ended up winning the amateur division and put us on the map. It was one of the best moments in my short life.
What were you in your previous life? I was a shaman or also known as a healer and medicine man. The Mayan believed that if one was born on certain days of the calendar day or night, that person already has a purpose, and the date that I was born August 24, 1992 at 12 am and it was foreseen that I would be a shaman and medicine man. I believe that when we die our spirit stays on this earth until our mission is complete. So it is up to me to take care of my family and friends which is all of us that live under the sky and live on our planet earth.
How did you get to match make your socks? Why?
I started to miss-match my socks because I remember when I was a kindergartener my cousin used to pick me up from school with his friends, they were all in a band and I would watch them practice in my grandmother's garage. One day one of his friends had on one blue converse all star and the other was purple. I remember asking him why did he have on different shoes; he never really gave me an answer, but I remember telling him it was because he was in a rush and didn’t have enough time to turn on the light. He agreed and laughed.
So, when I grew up and started to understand style I figured out the answer. It’s more of a "why not?" wear miss-matched socks, shoes or earrings. Eventually people would start to genuinely get "angry" at me for miss-matching my clothes, which made me want to do it even more, as a poke in the eye and challenge of the status quo.
What does your sock drawer look like? How do you keep your socks around?
My sock drawer is filled with socks some I use more often than others. If a sock is lost, I find them a new partner sock to replace or change the pair.
Who or what inspires you? The people who inspire me the most are my teammates at Venice beach Calisthenics we motivate and teach each other so we can reach our goals, like a family or call it tribe
What is your dream? My dream is to become the best calisthenics and street workout athletes in the USA. Eventually opening my own gym to continue to compete and help people find a better lifestyle.
What do you like most about calisthenics? What I like most about calisthenics is that everyone has an individual style. Not everyone does it the same, we all have different bodies that have their own limitations of strength and ways of moving. I’m not very good at sports in general, so being good at this gave me more confidence. It also allows me to do activities with my strength that people can’t match.
What do you eat? Do you change your lifestyle, diet and habits for calisthenics? I did start to pay a lot more attention about what I put in my body, once I started training calisthenics. I drink a lot of vitamins, spirulina, L glutamine, and maca to help heal and strengthen my body.
Where do we see you in 10 years? I see myself holding a clean front lever, which is a static move when a person hangs from the bar, while lifting their feet. Much like imitating laying flat on their back, something that look like laying on a bed, in the air. This, while looking out to the ocean on the bars of my Gym at Muscle Beach.
If you could time travel, where would you go? If I could travel time I would go back to the 1920s to hangout with all of the great artists and musicians of that time. Like Louis Armstrong and Wassily Kandinsky
What does fashion and performance mean to you? Fashion is another way of expression. When I look good I perform better. It goes hand in hand.
Last questions. What is your spirit animal? For sure, the black jaguar a rare cat from southern and Central America.
For more, check SMOOVE GUILLOTINE @smoove_guillotine BARBOOGIE @barboogie and AMANDA MAJORS @amandamajorsphotography www.amandamajors.com
Socks, are the only love love relationship in my life. I can never be angry with them, and grow to love them more and more with each passing day. They are my passion children.
EACH YEAR, SINCE 1979, THE AMAZING SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE. AN ORDER OF QUEER NONS, COME TOGETHER IN THE GOLDEN GATE PARK, TO CELEBRATE EASTER AND ORGANIZE THEIR BIGGEST FUNDRAISER. WE WERE THERE TO CELEBRATE AND MEET WITH THE NUNS AND FELL IN LOVE, AGAIN.
RECENTLY WE COLLABORATED WITH THE LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER TO ORGANIZE THE FIRST QUEER SOCK PUPPET WORKSHOP. IT IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW MAKING SOCK PUPPETS, HELPS THE YOUTH AT THE CENTER TO GET THEIR MINDS OFF, OF TROUBLES AND FOCUS ON THEIR CREATIVE SIDE.
