House of Honey Aerial Retreat Center --Aaron Koz Straps Intensive, March 2024
From parcours to rock climbing, how DID the esteemed Aaron Koz find his way to circus arts?
“I thought the circus was lame,” says Aaron Koz casually. We are sitting for a conversation in the House of Honey aerial retreat center during his first straps intensive. The studio mascot, our beloved four-legged Jack Russel-Beagle mix named Charlie Brown, has stretched himself across Aaron’s lap as if they’ve known each other forever.
Although we had a good feeling about each other, you never really know until you truly meet someone in person if your expectations are aligned with reality.
But when Aaron Koz first stepped off the bus with the tiniest bag you’ve ever seen and a wide grin, I knew I liked him as much as I thought I would. Over the week, that was proven true again and again. Charlie Brown took an instant shine to him -- and so did everyone else.
Aaron may be one of the smartest aerial straps coaches in the world, but he’s also down to earth, easy to talk to, incredibly funny and a great storyteller. Throughout the week, he led his group with carefully planned drills aligned with new skill learning. He helped them improve technique and gave individual attention to heighten body awareness. He pointed out weaknesses and celebrated strengths, teaching them new tricks with skill and patience.
His mix of encouragement and feedback gave each aerialist what they had come for: a learning experience unparalleled to work online or a single class. All incredibly advanced (you must be to meet his prerequisites), they all learned new things. Aaron has such a good reputation in the aerial retreat world that many of his students were with him for a second and third time. “I’d follow him anywhere,” a top coach from Kuwait told me. She wasn’t the only one.
With his wonderful sense of humor, Aaron also creates a fabulous social dynamic, which can be one of the hardest things to master when running a successful aerial retreat. In Aaron’s case, ‘intensive’ is a better word. Most of the group came to do one thing: work hard and get better at straps. From all over the world, the group was made up of highly successful, intelligent and talented people. From software developers to studio owners, one was competing in Croatia’s Got Talent, one was a former Olympic ice skater and several others performed professionally.
All of them were hard working and incredibly strong. Watching them swing together beneath the hexagon towards each other into the center was one of the highlights of my week. I could almost feel my stomach jumping as they swung, twisting their bodies up and flipping sideways onto their forearms at exactly the right moment. This, in fact, may be what Aaron is most well known for: dynamic work. He guided them with the precision of a surgeon, explaining which part of the body should be where and what momentum is needed when you shift the weight. Even where your eyes are looking matters. It’s all about the details. Feeling your own body move through space is an essential skill.
But Aaron Koz didn’t start out on straps. His passions were initially parcours and rock climbing. After completing undergraduate degrees in psychology and neuroscience, Aaron initially did some research at Johns Hopkins. After realizing he didn’t have the patience for work that took months or even years to complete, he decided to shift gears and apply his knowledge to circus training.
But how did he get from parcours and rock climbing to chinese pole and then straps?
His answer? “Almost by accident.” After he studied at the Circus Warehouse’s intensive program in Washington D.C. to satisfy his need for constant movement, he fell in love with chinese pole. Once he realized how hard it was to set up in various performance venues, Aaron decided to try straps.
“They could literally fit in my backpack,” Aaron says of his first pair of straps. And the rigging required was far simpler.
When he started on straps, before TikTok and Instagram, there were singular coaches passing on knowledge. There seemed to be ‘one right way’ to do things and that was it. Science, Koz realized, had knowledge that could help many more people. By applying scientific concepts to individuals that would be specific to their body types and needs, coaching could become far more personalized and helpful.
That began his coaching journey. Aaron started teaching and creating unique courses to help people reach more of their full potential, avoid injury when training and meet their goals faster. Today, aside from running the podcast and writing online courses, Aaron travels all over the world to teach and welcomes thousands of students from every corner of the globe –even Antarctica!
Why Aerial Intensives?
Aaron believes that layered information in a setting that gives people time to understand broader concepts is a huge advantage of intensive retreats. The same idea comes into a set of skills and movement throughout the week. “Having someone bring your attention and awareness to a framed lesson plan that highlights that concept day after day allows people to build layered foundations that lead to complex understanding,” he explains.
For most of his students, there are numerous ‘eureka’ moments. And this, we know, is a huge advantage over online coaching in a short session. It can be done online, but it takes weeks or even months to see the same progress.
Aaron’s Aerial Coaching Game Plan
While he has an ‘overplanning’ approach, Aaron also adjusts his lessons to the students in front of him. Although there are strength and flexibility requirements, he believes in not staying rigid. “Have a plan, overplan and then adapt to it as you go,” he says.
What’s the challenge of an Aerial Straps Intensive?
Day after day, 5 hours a day is a lot. But according to Aaron, the physical element is tiring but not too difficult. “We can always supplement with videos and floor drills during a retreat,” he says. “The social energy can sometimes be more taxing than the physical.
At the end of the day, I am exhausted. But it’s not because of the physical. It’s just that unless you’re super extroverted, it’s 6 days with the same people. The nice thing about House of Honey is that there is space to spread out.”
“People this week have told me that I’m more relaxed and less anxious than in past retreats. Part of that is having space to spread out but also to come together,” says Aaron.
Aaron Koz’s Top Tips for Injury Prevention
“Know yourself,” he says. That is, of course, easier said than done. He gives the example that if one person knows they throw themselves into things, they might need to dial themselves back. Another person who might be more prone to holding back might need to put more effort into it. It’s absolutely an individual assessment. It requires extreme self-awareness, but Aaron helps them deepen that innate sense.
“Teaching students and giving them the tools to recognize when they need a break – to go to the bathroom, eat something, breathe for a moment and check in with their bodies – is important,” he explains. “Most people here have the internal awareness to know if it’s time to chill or push themselves further.” His job, as he sees it, is to help them listen to their own bodies.
Aaron Koz’s Funniest Moments in Circus?
Outside Bellingham WA, many years ago, Aaron was just starting out on straps. He’d done a few performances and he knew some people who were organizing a festival and needed another aerialist. One was for an electro swing band for an improv number so Aaron agreed to help out. But the second requirement was a much bigger challenge.
“‘Would you consider performing in a cabaret burlesque show on another night?’” they asked him. At that point, he couldn’t say no. But improv was one thing and the other would require some planning. Aaron settled on portraying the character of an old southern cowboy man named “Uncle Grandpa.”
“I did a straps act as that guy,” he says, laughing at the memory. There wasn’t a lot of money or time for props so he recalls rummaging in the kitchen for some flour to get his hair white, searching through the crowd for an unused (important point) adult diaper (and finding one!). Then he pulled on some jeans and a cowboy hat and did a straps extravaganza that ended in a split in an adult diaper on stage in front of hundreds of people.
“If you can find it, it is on YouTube,” he says. The editing apparently sped it up and color tinted the background so it looks even weirder than it was originally. But somewhere on the internet, that iconic performance still exists. But although Aaon laughs about it today, he’s in no hurry to give anyone the actual link or any more clues. If you find it, let me know :)
Why does Aaron Koz do this thing?
“It’s fully as weird as I thought!” he says with another laugh. “I ended a show on a stage in front of hundreds of people in a diaper in splits!” No one could argue with the weirdness of that. But it’s also one of the beautiful things about the circus. It is a home for misfits. It always has been. It’s why we love it.
For Aaron, it also challenges him to go to places he never imagined going. “I had a lot of practice doing that in my youth,” he explains, mentioning eating contests and 48-hour treasure hunts and extreme dares. “I’ve never had a lot of shame and dignity, but wearing an adult diaper was probably the pinnacle.”
Creative Movement
On day four, Aaron asked everyone to go with the music, to explore where it would take them on straps and let their body flow with just the sounds and their own inner desire to create movement. “Don’t hold yourself back. Take it where it takes you on the straps,” was his directive.
“Redeveloping is a good word for this aspect of the work,” he explains. “Straps can be systematic and clear. How you go from point A to point B is clear.” However, because Aaron came from science and didn’t think of himself as a ‘creative’ –even though he had done tons of weird acts– his approach to performing was simple: I can do some cool stuff and I'll show you if you want. He says there was never as much comfort as there could have been in performance. Although he doesn’t really perform anymore, it’s still something he thinks is worth working on.
Part of the reason for not performing is that he’s an early riser. “I love going to bed early,” he says. “Most performances are late at night. I’d have to be on stage at 11 or 11:30. Now if I go to bed that late, that’s rough.” Aside from the late nights, Aaron says that ever since Covid, performance opportunities are getting worse and worse. Even some of the most incredible performers are having trouble getting quality work. So for Aaron, performing will remain strictly for fun. It’s not in his plan to start performing again professionally.
How was your first intensive straps week at the House of Honey aerial retreat center?
“I thought it was gonna go well, but each time before the first time at a new place I worry that people will pay a lot of money and not like it,” Aaron admitted. “But this week went well. I enjoyed it and I think everyone else did too. People were safe, people had fun, and they learned things, including how awesome the salt water jacuzzi is.” I later learned it had been aptly nicknamed by the group as ‘the think tank.’
In the spring of 2025, Aaron has two straps intensives with guest coaches. To find out more and book your spot, email meredith@houseofhoneyportucal.com, check out our event details here or head to Aaron's website:
BOOK EARLY AS AARON'S RETREATS SELL OUT FAST :)
Week 1: Aaron Koz Straps Intensive, March 30-April 6, 2025
Week 2: Aaron Koz Straps Intensive, April 6-13, 2025
To see the full video interview with Aaron Koz at the House of Honey, visit our page on YouTube here.
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