{"id":833,"date":"2007-10-18T19:18:51","date_gmt":"2007-10-18T19:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2007\/10\/18\/guilty-pleasure-ninja-warrior\/"},"modified":"2012-08-17T05:19:42","modified_gmt":"2012-08-17T05:19:42","slug":"guilty-pleasure-ninja-warrior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2007\/10\/18\/guilty-pleasure-ninja-warrior\/","title":{"rendered":"Guilty Pleasure: Ninja Warrior"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Japanese obstacle course competition, Ninja Warrior<\/span><\/a> (Sasuke<\/span> in Japan) begins with 100 challengers, who attempt to complete four stages in hopes to be crowned Ninja Warrior. Most are eliminated in the first round (six or more advancing to the 2nd round is a lot) with even a faster attrition rate on the later rounds. More than one challenger for stage four is unusual with three the record. Only two people in the nineteen Ninja Warrior tournaments have finished the entire course. <\/p>\n

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In Japan, Sasuke<\/span> events are edited down to a three hour special and air approximately once a year (19 shows since 1997). Shown in the UK in 20 minute episodes and in the US as 30 minute shows, Ninja Warrior<\/span> evokes memories of the nineties combat\/reality show American Gladiator<\/span><\/a> and the 1970s sports program Superstars<\/span><\/a>. The difference being that AG<\/span> and Superstars<\/span> featured competition between individuals, the latter featuring professional athletes. (Though a handful of pro athletes have appeared on NW<\/span>, most notably US gold medal Olympian gymnast Paul Hamm and his brother Morgan Hamm.) On Sasuke<\/span>, individuals compete against the course.<\/p>\n

Here in the US, Ninja Warrior<\/span> airs nightly at 6PM and 10PM EST on G4<\/a>, a network that focuses primarily on the video gaming aspect of geek culture. While I have nothing against video games, I stopped playing them well over a decade ago and the current crop holds little interest for me. I used G4 primarily for their Star Trek reruns. That was until Brandy and I discovered Ninja Warrior<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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The showmanship of the participants, competing on this outdoor course often in the freezing temperatures before a live audience, creates a carnival atmosphere to the proceedings, which only enhances the enjoyment. Some of the competitors are clearly there just for the spectacle, but many are gifted and talented athletes, who are there for more than their 15 minutes and a check (currently finishing the 4th stage nets \u00a54,000,000, around US$32,780).<\/p>\n

On November 14, G4 celebrates this cultural phenom with two Ninja Warrior<\/span> specials: a behind-the-scenes episode and a tribute to the winner of G4’s American Ninja Challenge<\/a> winner. The night concludes with three all-new episodes! I can’t wait.<\/p>\n

Check out a Ninja Warrior<\/span> episode on G4.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Japanese obstacle course competition, Ninja Warrior (Sasuke in Japan) begins with 100 challengers, who attempt to complete four stages in hopes to be crowned Ninja Warrior. Most are eliminated in the first round (six or more advancing to the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n