If you watched the season premiere of "American Ninja Warrior," you might have thought, "That looks like fun, I want to try that!" The competition show features elite athletes, but the sport itself is open to all skill levels.At just 18 years old, Will King stands out at the Ninja Obstacle Academy in Huntsville. “I feel like I've always been kind of like a monkey, per se. I've always been climbing on stuff, but I saw ninja and I just thought that was what I wanted to do,” King said.>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for freeHe trained on his own when he was little and then joined the academy several years ago. And he's not the only student inspired by the show. Justin Moore, co-owner of the academy, said, “I think that it gets a lot of people excited and motivated to try it who otherwise may not have. One of my favorite things that the show does is it shows you don't have to be a superhuman to do this. An average Joe or an average Jane can do it.”You may start as an average Joe, but ninja training will whip you into shape in more ways than one. Moore said, “We take a combination of gymnastics, parkour, rock climbing, and martial arts, and we fuse them into a training that is philosophical, physical, and mental.”>> FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Now, Moore and the other coaches are training the next generation of ninjas. Kids as young as 7 are learning the basic ninja moves so they can one day master the warped wall. Moore said, “You have the lache, body prop, dino, stride, punch, and simple harmonic motion or shimmy. If you can learn these six ninja moves, you can combine and modify them to tackle any obstacle in front of you, whether you've seen it before or not.”The lache is throwing your body forward from a hanging position. A dino is the reverse—throwing your body back or up. The shimmy involves swinging like a pendulum to propel your body. A body prop is similar to a plank. They break down each move into several steps that students practice before attempting complex obstacles.King mastered these moves and has climbed to the top in many competitions around the country. Most recently, he lived out his dream to compete on American Ninja Warrior. He'll appear on the show this season. >> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from WVTM 13He said, “Going there and actually seeing it is a completely different experience than anything that I've ever done before. It's a whole new level of ninja.”King can't tell us how he did, so we'll have to watch the show to find out. But win or lose, he says it was an incredible experience and has given him a new appreciation for the sport he's loved since he was six.He said, “It keeps you healthy. It keeps you fit while you're also having a good time. It is the most fun way to work out.”
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. —
If you watched the season premiere of "American Ninja Warrior," you might have thought, "That looks like fun, I want to try that!" The competition show features elite athletes, but the sport itself is open to all skill levels.
At just 18 years old, Will King stands out at the Ninja Obstacle Academy in Huntsville.
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“I feel like I've always been kind of like a monkey, per se. I've always been climbing on stuff, but I saw ninja and I just thought that was what I wanted to do,” King said.
>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
He trained on his own when he was little and then joined the academy several years ago. And he's not the only student inspired by the show.
Justin Moore, co-owner of the academy, said, “I think that it gets a lot of people excited and motivated to try it who otherwise may not have. One of my favorite things that the show does is it shows you don't have to be a superhuman to do this. An average Joe or an average Jane can do it.”
You may start as an average Joe, but ninja training will whip you into shape in more ways than one.
Moore said, “We take a combination of gymnastics, parkour, rock climbing, and martial arts, and we fuse them into a training that is philosophical, physical, and mental.”
>> FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Now, Moore and the other coaches are training the next generation of ninjas. Kids as young as 7 are learning the basic ninja moves so they can one day master the warped wall.
Moore said, “You have the lache, body prop, dino, stride, punch, and simple harmonic motion or shimmy. If you can learn these six ninja moves, you can combine and modify them to tackle any obstacle in front of you, whether you've seen it before or not.”
The lache is throwing your body forward from a hanging position. A dino is the reverse—throwing your body back or up. The shimmy involves swinging like a pendulum to propel your body. A body prop is similar to a plank. They break down each move into several steps that students practice before attempting complex obstacles.
King mastered these moves and has climbed to the top in many competitions around the country. Most recently, he lived out his dream to compete on American Ninja Warrior. He'll appear on the show this season.
>> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from WVTM 13
He said, “Going there and actually seeing it is a completely different experience than anything that I've ever done before. It's a whole new level of ninja.”
King can't tell us how he did, so we'll have to watch the show to find out. But win or lose, he says it was an incredible experience and has given him a new appreciation for the sport he's loved since he was six.
He said, “It keeps you healthy. It keeps you fit while you're also having a good time. It is the most fun way to work out.”
