There's a television show on G4 that I've become addicted to - it's called 'Ninja Warriors'. For those who've never seen it, it's a very enjoyable competition of strength, balance and endurance. In a way it reminds me of the 'Superstars' competition that was televised on ABC back in the '70s. But instead of using professional athletes from track & field, football, speed skating, basketball... it uses the regular Joe (like you and me) who is lucky enough to be included in a group of 100 contestants that get a chance to try their luck on 4 grueling "obstacle" courses. The obstacle courses have all kinds of inventive challenges to overcome. For safety reasons, most are done over a murky, cold pool of muddy water. Some of the more fun ones are:
1. You bounce off a mini-trampoline and try to grab onto an angled rope web. Several wipe-outs here. Momentum flips several people, who end up going face first in the water.
2. Giant "log" rolls and holds (variants). Here contestants either wrap their arms and legs around a giant log (horizontal variant) and hold on for dear life as it rolls down metal guide poles, or in some variants they hold on for dear life (in a vertical position) as the log progresses through a series of drops meant to shake the contestant lose.
3. Spider walk. Contestants jump off a mini-tramp into a gap between two parallel Plexiglass walls. The gap is roughly four feet wide. Contestants spread their hands and legs out and press against the walls to maneuver themselves up and down a course that sometimes has moving Plexiglass panels in it.
4. Giant Swinging Mallets. You guessed it. These giant mallets try to knock contestents off a 6 inch wide beam - yeah... suspended over that same cold, murky pool of water.
5. Wall Grip. This looks to be the hardest challenge. Contestants hang by their fingertips from a two inch wide metal ledge. They have to inch themselves along this ledge filled with gaps, and changes in height and width.
Nearly all the contestants are Japanese, but every once in a while you'll find an American who's given a shot to become a Ninja Warrior. The commentary (English subtitles) is energetic and funny, as well as several of the characters who try their luck. Most of them come with some kind of prop (I've seen a man dressed as Superman, one with a robe made out of crabs (he was a crab fisherman) and even one with a hang glider outfit). There are men and women, old and young alike.
Needless to say, this show which has nothing to do with Ninja weapons of any sort. It combines the wackiness of 'Let's Make a Deal' with the stunts off of 'Fear Factor'. If you haven't seen it (and assuming you get G4) then you've got to give it a try.
Until then, J/W
