Ninja Warrior Competitions
Compete in the Fastest Growing Sport in the Nation
The minute someone walks into the gym, we can see it: everyone wants to hit the buzzer. With a little ninja warrior training and practice, you can get started testing your skills in competitions and become a ninja warrior athlete!
At Rock Solid Warrior we offer beginner and advanced competitions as part of our regional Ninja Carolina League, in house competitions (such as our Ninja Kids for Safe Kids competition), UNAA competitions for those who want to work their way up to see how they can compete with others across the nation and world, as well as professional competitions as part of the Ninja Sport Championship series.
There are age divisions for everyone, starting from 6 all the way to 40+, and everything in between! Even better, you can do it without having to drive far and wide as there are five other ninja gyms all within a 1.5 hour drive of Rock Solid Warrior!
With competition comes motivation, excitement and a challenge—that’s why Rock Solid Warrior offers more competitions than your average Ninja Warrior gym. You can read more about Levels and Competitions here or watch our “Intro to the Sport of Ninja” to learn how the sport is works. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions!
Every Ninja Athlete has to start somewhere.
Although our Ninja Carolina League is beginner friendly, we generally don’t recommend competing in it until some basic level of accomplishment in Ninja Skills are achieved. At Rock Solid Warrior, that’s typically someone who has been advancing in our Level 2 classes for kids, or our Ninja Fit and Adult Classes.
However, we recognize that the word “compete”, especially in the context of a “league” might be a little intimidating. And, if someone who is pretty new to ninja, especially at a young age, tries their hand at competing with others who are more advanced than they are – even advanced beginners – it can be a bit disheartening.
For the last two summers, we’ve held our “My First Competition Series” to provide a place where everyone who had not yet competed can get a taste of what it’s like to compete, with less intimidating obstacles and less intimidating competitors. But, we realize that not everyone who wanted to participate in those competitions were available to compete. Additionally, the fall tends to bring a new set of budding ninja athletes into our gym that are starting at “Level 1”.
So, we decided to offer “Beginner – Level 1 – Kids Competitions” in November:
These courses will be set up with obstacles that should be familiar to all Level 1 students, and will be run just like a Ninja Carolina League competition so they can get the feel of a competition – and actually compete against others at a similar level.
If your kiddo is in our Level 1 classes check out our “What to Expect at Your First Ninja Competition” video, and consider signing them up for a beginner competition! It is a very inexpensive way to get a taste of what a competition is like, build up confidence, and inspire them to keep on training to overcome obstacles in the sport and in life!
The Ninja Carolina League (NCL) kicked off in September with competitions at Warrior Tech Raleigh and Warrior Zone. October and November offer five more opportunities to compete that started with USA Ninja Challenge in Durham followed by Beast Ninja in Myrtle Beach. The next three are super close to home…
- October 26-27 at Rock Solid Warrior – Fuquay
- November 2 at Element Ninja Academy (kids only) – Clayton
- November 16 at Rock Solid Warrior – South Apex
The Ninja Carolina League (NCL) is continuing to grow as the sport grows. At Rock Solid Warrior, in addition to serving our local community well, one of our goals has been to help the Sport of Ninja grow. We’re particularly excited that we helped launch the ninja program that is now taking on a life of its own at Element Ninja Academy in Clayton, and we hope to assist others to do the same in the future in a variety of ways (learn more here!).
Our regional league has led the way for other regional leagues by being the first to recognize the need for both Beginner and Advanced divisions in every age group. This year, we’ve taken the lead again by using the Ninja Sport Championship (NSC) hybrid course rules for the 13+_pro division. Now the top local athletes can use our local competitions as a training ground for the eight Ninja Sport Championship (NSC) qualifiers around the country that start in November.
The goals of the Ninja Carolina League have always included:
- To be an encouraging place to introduce new people to the sport of Ninja
- Provide a community where all ninja athletes in the Carolinas can compete at their level without having to travel far.
In addition to the change in the 13+_pro division, this year, we’ve made a couple of other adjustments to continue to meet those goals.
We’ve recognized that the national leagues heat up in the spring and many of our top athletes begin to focus on qualifying for the national finals of those leagues with athletes from other areas.
We’ve also recognized that many new budding ninja athletes tend to enter the sport in the fall and winter when they are not quite ready to compete – even at our beginner level. Other beginners are just beginning to feel more confident competing towards the end of our seasons that had traditionally ended in April, while still not ready to compete in the more advanced divisions.
Therefore, we’ve split the NCL into two seasons…
The Fall/Winter season will be more compact and feature all divisions, ending in January so the more advanced athletes can give there all preparing for the NCL finals at the end of January, then take a short rest as they get ready to go for the national qualifications. This also allows those who were classified as beginners and had great success to also consider trying to qualify for one or more of the national leagues.
We will be adding a Spring Season (March-May) with beginner divisions only, inviting those who are now ready to compete – or need a little more time at the beginner level – to have a place to do so locally. The schedule for the Spring Season will be determined in early December.
In the meantime, you can catch all the Carolina competition schedules (and learn about the bigger professional events of interest) at the Ninja Carolina League Season 5 (2024-25) and more schedule.
Of course, it’s fun to tackle obstacles and dream about being the future “American Ninja Warrior.” But what’s the path to get there? Or even the path to running against others on a less-intimidating course?
Well, although there are people who were on the show that have never competed in a Ninja Competition, none of them make it to “The National Finals in Las Vegas”… at least not since the early seasons. The reality TV show has actually inspired an entire sport that has a life of its own. And, although Matt, Akbar, and Zuri (hosts of American Ninja Warrior) rarely talk about it, everyone who has made it to the “National Finals” over the last few years has been competing in the Ninja Sport for multiple years. Season 15’s “rookies” who made it to the finals, like Noah Meunier, have been competing in the sport since before they were teenagers.
The Ninja Sport will live beyond the reality TV show, and there is definitely room for more “rookies”.
And Rock Solid Warrior is here to help.
During the “off season” we are hosting the “My First Competition” series. We held one for 6-11 year olds in South Apex on June 15, and we’ll be hosting one for 12-72 year-olds at Fuquay on July 13. No Experience IS NECESSARY. That is, if you have competed in a Ninja Competition before, you are NOT eligible for this one. It’s all about learning what a competition is like, and the course will be set up based on the fact that you have NOT competed before. This is to get your feet wet (well, not literally) and see if you might catch the bug.
The Ninja Carolina League (NCL) Season 5 will be starting up again in September, and we should be posting the schedule for that sometime shortly after August 15. The NCL consists of a group of Ninja gyms in North and South Carolina who have recognized that have recognized the sport needs aboth an entry point for newer ninja athletes of all ages, as well as a venue for our more experienced ninja athletes to compete without having to travel far. There are beginner divisions in every age group so you would only competing against others of similar experience on courses that take your experience level into account. And, for those who have gained some experience (or just think they are ready for bigger challenges) there are also advanced divisions in every age group.
And, because we have many ranked pros in the Carolinas, we even have a pro division where the courses are beyond what most mere mortals can imagine, and extremely entertaining to watch right here in the Carolinas.
So, don’t just watch American Ninja Warrior and wonder what it would be like, let’s get started on living the dream of competing in one of the fastest growing, exciting, and encouraging sports there is.
If you’ve not already been taking classes, and working on strengthening your body, we’re here to help from kids classes to teen & adult classes to Ninja Fit classes to get you in shape to live the dream. Sign up today!
Every year, in the summer, Rock Solid has one of its most fun competitions – Our Speed Competition. This year, it will be on Saturday, June 29 at our Suoth Apex facility.
Unlike most competitions where you have a single chance on a course, this is all about re-trying the same course to see how fast you can get through.
We run the course side-by-side (mirrored versions of the same course). We start with two “seeding runs”. Based on your best score/time, you will be placed into a double elimination side-by-side tournament. So, you are guaranteed at least 4 runs on the same course.
Every year we see exciting finishes and watch as the athletes take risks to shave seconds off of their time. We’ve had multiple photo finishes (like this one).
And, this year, we’ll be modeling our courses similarly to the The US Nationals race (road to USA Ninja Team and future Olympics?) which will be taking place July 25-28 in Anaheim, CA.
Come compete or just come and watch the athleticism, the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.
The Ninja Sport season generally kicks off in September. Like just about every other sport, the end of the season is “Playoffs Time.” Though the elite Pro Athletes ended the Ninja Sport Championship season in February, the rest of the sport is just getting heated up.
Local athletes in the Ninja Carolina League are getting ready for the NCL Season 4 Finals, which will be hosted this year at Rock Solid Warrior’s South Apex facility on April 27-28. Local Carolina athletes have competed all season to qualify and prepare for the finals. There are 30 divisions looking to crown champions: 7 age groups with beginners and advanced male and female in each, as well as male and female pro divisions. If you qualified, or just want to come cheer the athletes on, you can purchase tickets through Ninja Master. Athletes will need to pay to register, but spectators are free.
NOTE: Those who qualified for Advanced and Pro Divisions are also qualified for the US Nationals in Anaheim as part of the annual Obstacle Sports Expo. Learn more below.
The Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) has pretty much wrapped up its “Regular Season” known as “Area Qualifiers” and is moving into the “Regional Qualifiers” for those who want to compete beyond the Carolinas. Although those who qualified in Area Qualifiers are free to compete at any Regional Qualifiers, the closest to the Carolinas are Warrior Tech OCR in Morrisville, NC, on June 1-2 and Rugged Obstacles in Williamsburg, VA the following weekend.
The World Ninja League (WNL – predominant in the north east) is hosting its Southeast Regionals at Motive School of Movement in Greenville, SC at the end of May and World Finals in Greensboro, NC in late June.
The Federation of International Ninja Athletes (predominant in the central and north) is hosting its Sectionals for this area at Rugged Obstacles in Williamsburg on June 15.
Other than the Ninja Sport Championship and the World Ninja League, all of the above is to get to one or more of the big “Finals” in the sport.
The Obstacle Sports Expo will be held this year at the Anaheim Convention Center near Disneyland in California July 24-28, 2024..
This event is actually a combination of five exciting events including:
- Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Series Championship Finals
- World Ninja Athlete Games Championship Finals
- The US Nationals race (road to USA Ninja Team and future Olympics?)
- Federation of International Ninja Athletes (FINA) World Championships
- Ultimate OCR 3k – an optional fun 3k obstacle race.
Rock Solid Warrior will be well-represented with several athletes in many age groups (as well as our pros) who have already qualified for one or more of these events – with hopefully a few more qualifications coming soon. We’ve also been honored – along with Warrior Tech OCR – to be asked back to design and host the 7U, 9U, 11U and 13U courses at the UNAA World Series Championship Finals after the rave reviews we received for our courses in those categories last year in Orlando.
If you are just getting started in the sport, this time of year is very exciting for the sport of ninja. Go cheer on accomplished athletes and be inspired to keep working hard to prepare for next season.
The American NInja Warrior “reality TV show” holds its finals in Las Vegas every season.
But, the show which inspired the sport, isn’t where all the best athletes in the sport can be found.
Clearly. the athletes that make it to the finals on American Ninja Warrior are amazing. But for every one of those athletes that make it to Stage 2 in Las Vegas, there are 10 other athletes that are just as good – or better – competing in the sport of Ninja that didn’t make the producer’s cut in Hollywood.
A few years ago, Chris DiGangi and Ethan Swanson – two of the great athletes that started doing ninja warrior style obstacle course racing on the American Ninja Warrior show – recognized there was a need to move the sport to the professional level. Both Ethan and Chris knew that the young athletes who have grown up with the sport had taken it to a new level. As they compared the sport to other professional sports, they recognized that there really wasn’t an avenue to grow a following for these athletes. A football fan of Patrick Mahomes or Christian McCaffrey can tune in every week for a season to see how they were doing against other top athletes in football. Golf fans of Scottie Sheffler or Rory McIlroy can watch them on the PGA tour.
The Ninja Sport is, in many ways, much like golf. Athletes compete in a variety of facilities with each athlete individually taking on a course that varies. Every golf course doesn’t attract the top golfers, and every golf tournament isn’t a Professional Golf Association (PGA) tournament. Every ninja sport facility doesn’t attract the top ninja sport athletes. And, although there have been a variety of independent and sanctioned competitions for athletes of all ages and skill levels, there was no equivalent to the PGA Tour where the best of the best were gathered and followed.
So, the Ninja Sport Network was born with their flagship attraction, the Ninja Sport Championship (NSC) series. Each season, Chris and Ethan hand-pick the best facilities with the best course designers to host their regular season qualifiers. The athletes who perform the best at those qualifiers are invited to their season finals where the best of the best compete to become the coveted Ninja Sport Champion. Much like the Super Bowl, the finals are held at a different venue each season.
This weekend, February 17-18, the top 32 male and top 32 female Ninja Sport athletes of the season will descend on Obstacla Academy in Minneapolis, MN to crown Season 3 champions.
Among those male athletes are four of Rock Solid Warrior’s coaches that are part of our elite team – Josh Auer, Sylas Snider, Michael Bellion, and Brett Strong. Josh is one of only 18 male athletes that have qualified for all three season finals.
Lilah Nathison, who got her start and often trains at Rock Solid Warrior also qualified for the 3rd straight season as one of only 8 female athletes to do so. (Two qualified for all three but didn’t compete in one of those seasons due to injuries).
Only one other gym – Jungle Gym in Florida – has as many male athletes who have qualified for the finals. And, only one other gym (Ninja Intensity in Colorado) has more than 5 athletes who have qualified for finals this season.
We hope you will tune in to the Ninja Sport Network’s You Tube channel to watch it via live stream and cheer not only our athletes, but also the other amazing ninja sport athletes who are the best of the best. Saturday, all qualified athletes will compete on 3 courses: hybrid, speed, and burnout. Those who make the cut based on their performance on those courses on Saturday, will move on to a final round on Sunday to determine this season’s champions.
The Obstacle Sports Expo will be held this year at the Anaheim Convention Center near Disneyland in California July 24-28, 2024 and we will be providing opportunities for hopeful Ninja athletes to take steps to get there in March.
What is this event?
Well, it is actually a combination of five exciting events including:
- Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Series Championship Finals
- World Ninja Athlete Games Championship Finals
- Ninja World Cup race (road to Olympics?)
- Federation of International Ninja Athletes (FINA) World Championships
- Ultimate Spartan OCR 3k – an optional fun 3k obstacle race.
So, how do you qualify to get there? Well the first two events are part of the UNAA’s offerings and, if you qualify for one of those, you also qualify for the Ninja World Cup event.
The UNAA is one of the most established ninja leagues in the world, currently in its 9th season. We’ll be hosting both a World Ninja Athlete Games event, as well as a Season 9 Area Qualifier (the first step to Regionals and then Worlds) at our South Apex location in March.
The World Ninja Athlete Games (WNAG) is the largest worldwide competition week on the planet, from March 9-17, 2024. We’ll be hosting our WNAG event on March 9. The course is a standardized course defined by the UNAA which will be duplicated by gyms all over the world to give Ninja athletes an opportunity to compete on a level playing field. In each age division, the top 15 performances in the world, as well as the 1st place finisher at each individual event qualify for WNAG Championships in Anaheim, UNAA World Series Championship Finals and the World Cup!
We’ll also be hosting a UNAA Area Qualifier on March 23rd which will be a unique course created by our own course designers. At this event, the top 3 or top 50% of those not previously qualified in each division will qualify for UNAA Regionals held this year at Warrior Tech on the north side of Wake County in May or June (date TBD). At a Regional event the top 3 or top 20% of those not already qualified in a Regional will qualify for UNAA World Championship Finals as well at the World Cup.
For both events, there are divisions for children starting at age 6 through masters division (40+) and every age in between. All divisions will be included in both of these events. The divisions 7U, 9U, 11U, 13U, and 15U age 7 & under, 9& under, etc. based on an athlete’s age as of January 1, 2024.
Whether or not you end of qualifying for the season ending events in California, both events will be great way to test your skills as you participate in the great sport of Ninja.
In case you missed the links above to register: WNAG event on March 9 and UNAA Area Qualifier on March 23. We hope you’ll join us for one or both.
The Ninja Sport is alive and well and there is no place in the world like the Carolinas to enjoy the sport. The Ninja Carolina League kicked off its 4th season in September, and after the holiday season, there are plenty of opportunities to compete.
The NCL is currently unique in its offering of both beginner and advanced divisions at every age level so, if you are new to the sport, it’s an ideal place to start, and if you’ve been at it for a little while you’ll also be challenged without having to travel far.
Course designers at each gym provide unique challenges tailored to the appropriate level. Beginners typically run before the advanced competitors on courses that will challeng but not overwhelm them as they compete against other beginners. Extra, more difficult obstacles, are typically added to a beginner course for the advanced divisions to keep them challenged as they compete against other advanced athletes.
Also, we have more than a dozen athletes in the Carolinas competing at the pro level around the nation who can take on courses that mere mortals can’t. Some of the larger gyms take on the challenge of offering pro level courses to really push these athletes and help keep them in top notch shape for the national competitions without having to travel so far.
In February, March, and April there will be a regular season qualifier at one of our locations:
- February 10 at our South Apex location – beginner and advanced in all age groups as well as the 14+pro division
- March 9at our Rock Solid Ninja Kids location inside Element Gymnastics and Sports Center in Clayton – beginner and advanced divisions for ages 6-13
- April 6-7 at our Fuquay Varina location – beginner and advanced in all age groups as well as the 14+pro division
But you don’t have to wait until February, as there are three regular season qualifiers at three other Carolina gyms:
- January 6-7 at WarriorTech Raleigh – beginner and advanced in all age groups as well as the 14+pro division
- January 13 at Beast Ninja in Myrtle Beach – beginner and advanced in all age groups
- January 27-28 at Warrior Zone in Winterville (near Greenville NC) – beginner and advanced in all age groups as well as the 14+pro division
We’re also excited to be hosting the Ninja Carolina League Finals the weekend of April 27-28 at our South Apex location.
How does an athlete qualify for the Finals? Points are awarded at every NCL Competition based on where an athlete finishes in their division. Their three highest point totals are added up and anyone with 160 or more points gets to compete at the finals. (Two top finishes or 3 less than bottom finishes typically adds up to 160 or more points). Run order at finals is determined by regular season point totals, so the last runners are the ones who scored highest in the regular season.
For the full schedule of local competitions (and a view into where some of the pros will be competing), check out the Ninja Carolina calendar which we keep up to date as we learn about competitions being scheduled.
Many of the best young ninjas in the country rarely have the opportunity to do three things:
- Participate in a highly competitive, multi-stage Ninja Competition
- Participate with other top young ninjas as a team in an extremely challenging tag-team competition
- Help other kids who do not have many of the privileges they have
Well, on Martin Luther King weekend, January 13-14, Rock Solid Warrior is hosting its 4th annual Ninja Kids for Safe Kids event, that gives these top young ninjas an opportunity to do all 3! Previous years have seen stars from American Ninja Warrior Junior and UNAA and WNL Champions from their age divisions from all over the country.
If you think you are a top young ninja, it’s time to put yourself to the test and support kids who may not have the privilege to compete and whose families are struggling.
If you just want to watch the Ninja Sport’s stars of the future, you can come as a spectator and also support the same great cause.
This will be a limited capacity, multi-stage event with cash prizes and all registration proceeds going to Safe Families for Children. There are also opportunities to sponsor this great event.
NOTE: Although this is event is open to all athletes 13&under, this is not a competition for those brand new to the sport. The courses will be extremely advanced and challenging!
There will only be 48 slots available for athletes 11&under, and 48 slots available for athletes 13&under. Each athlete can have 1 spectator for free. Additional Spectator tickets must be purchased. Run order in stage 1 is determined by registration order (those who sign up first run last) so sign up early.
Participants age as of January 1, 2024 will be used to determine their class.
Saturday, January 13 (Live stream will be available on our Facebook And YOUTUBE page)
There will be 2 waves of the qualifying round (stage 1) held at our South Apex facility. Each athlete will be guaranteed:
Speed course – Two runs on a side by side speed course using NSC rules (retry what you miss)… best score/time will be used to determine your rank on the speed course.
Technical course… one run using NCL rules (progress points earned as you progress through each obstacle… one try on each obstacle).
Top 2/3 of male and female by combined rank from both courses move on to…
Stage 2 (longer, more technical course) at our Fuquay Varina facility, top 50% of male and female (rounded up) move on to…
Stage 3 (very challenging upper body and grip course) at our Fuquay Varina facility. Stage 3 will be a blind course (after being shown the course, finalists will be isolated and not able to see the other runners in their age/gender) one fail and you’re done… farthest, fastest to determine the champion(s).
NOTE: We reserve the right to bump additional participants up to next stage
Sunday, January 14 afternoon (optional team comp, starting at 2 PM)
Two part team competition at our Fuquay Facility (teams will be assembled from all participants in an NFL style draft pick…)
First Round – Tag team competition on hybrid course from stages 2 and 3 (and possibly some other wrinkles)
Second Round – Tag team competition on same course (but no team member can repeat obstacles they tackled on the first round)
Winners will be determined by a combination of scores and times from both runs.
Follow this link to learn more, and register for the event as an athlete or spectator.
NOTE: Prices go up on November 30th, and signing up early will give a preferred run order for Stage 1, allowing athletes to watch other athletes compete before they run.
In 2021, two of the legendary athletes of the Ninja Sport, Chris DiGangi and Ethan Swanson, decided that it was time to raise the level and the access to the sport. They created the Ninja Sport Network to show the best that the sport has to offer, and raise the level of broadcasting.
And, to set the bar high, they created the Ninja Sport Championship Series of events, hand-picking the best gyms with the best course designers to host these events. In Season 1, Rock Solid Warrior’s Fuquay Varina facility was chosen to host a qualifier, with Caleb Auer as the main course designer. They were so impressed with our crew – and having glimpses of our South Apex facility going up, they asked us to host the Season 2 Championship finals.
For Season 3, though they have chosen to move the finals from year to year, Rock Solid Warrior has been honored to be chosen once again to host one of their eight Open Qualifiers on December 2nd, and it quickly sold out.
The best ninja athletes from the country – as well as a few from around the world – have recognized this as the top of the sport. Chris and Ethan have not compromised on quality of these competitions and the results have been that most of this season’s events sold out within days of being announced. Though you won’t see the lighted pools and all the production of American Ninja Warrior, you won’t see a higher level of talent anywhere else in the world. The qualifiers are “open” to anyone, though a certain number of spots are reserved for the highest ranked athletes. But by the time it gets to the finals, there will only be around 32 men and 32 women who’ve qualified for those finals. The only thing that gets you there is finishing at the top of the qualifiers against the best ninja athletes.
Although there is currently a significant waitlist to compete, you can buy a ticket to be a spectator and see some of the best talent from around the world. We’ll be selling a limited number of tickets starting in November for $10/spectator or $25/family of 3 or more. Stay tuned.
One of the original Ninja Leagues – the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) – is starting its 9th season. And we’ll be hosting an Area Qualifier at our Rock Solid Warrior Fuquay Varina location on December 16-17.
The UNAA has divisions for athletes from ages 6 to 40+. The season begins in September with Area Qualifiers around the country (as well as International qualifiers in other countries). Those whose top 3 scores in Area Qualifiers (think of it as “the regular season) rank them at the top 10 of their standings in their division get first choice of what wave they want to compete in at the finals. The top 50% of finishers (or top 3, whichever is higher) that have not already qualified at an Area qualifier in every division is eligible to move on to Regional qualifiers which typically start around May or June.
This year the North Carolina Regional Qualifier will be right here in Wake County at Warrior Tech (date still to be determined). The top 20% of finishers (or top 3, whichever is higher) qualify for World Finals, which will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California in late July (23-27).
For kids and adults who would like to compete with others across the nation – as well as other nations – this is a great way to start. As is our general policy, the earlier you sign up, the better run order you’ll have. First to sign up will run last after getting an opportunity to see what all the other athletes do. Prices go up after December 3, so put it on your calendar and sign up now.
Every year for the past several years, we’ve had a variety of athletes qualify for World Finals, and at least one athlete from Rock Solid Warrior make it to the top 10 in their division. And in 2021, we actually had three of our male athletes finish in the top 10 in the pro division.
This year at Rock Solid, we’re offering three different levels of competition training for youth:
• Competition Training Clinic (a ten-plus week introduction to the more advanced techniques and conditioning that it takes to be competitive in the sport)
• Competition Team Jr. – for those who have proven they will work hard in the younger ages
• Competition Team – for the most advanced youth athletes.
We’re also in the process of turning our Adult Elite Team into an offering for those who would like to compete at the pro level.
If you’d like to know more about the sport, the UNAA, or our Competitive Teams, reach out to one of our coaches.
There are ninja warrior competitions all around the country. From a small beginning in 2014 with a handful of gyms, more and more people have been getting into the sport.
In 2018, the Athlete Warrior Games (AWG) league was formed with a focus on being both friendly to beginners and challenging to the most advanced. It wasn’t perfect, but it had a good thing going. The Southeast region was picking up more and more momentum and then… COVID. It took out the AWG and a bunch of gyms throughout the country, including a few great gyms in the southeast. There was a lot of people wondering what would happen to the sport of Ninja as the momentum it had enjoyed was dealt a huge blow.
Near the end of 2020, a few leaders from Warrior Tech and Rock Solid Warrior met to get that momentum back in hopes of building on the concept of being both beginner friendly while still challenging to the more advanced without having to travel all around the country to do it. And the Ninja Carolina League was born. Several other gyms joined us that first year and a few more have joined us for Season 4.
We’re excited to announce that this year, we will be hosting at least 15 regular season competitions around the Carolinas, and we’re delighted to host the first two in Fuquay Varina (all divisions) and Clayton (6-13 year olds). Each age group has beginners and advanced divisions, and courses will be appropriate to skill level. This year, we’ve divided adults into three divisions: Beginner, Advanced, and Pro as we know have more than a dozen athletes in the Carolinas competing at the pro level who are part of the great community and can take on courses that mere mortals can’t.
For the full schedule of local competitions (and a view into where some of the pros will be competing, check out the Ninja Carolina calendar which we keep up to date as we learn about competitions being scheduled.