Fastest Ninja Wins at The Compound
Ninja Warrior is a growing sport in Australia. It’s like a Tough Mudder but with no mud and a whole bunch shorter. Most of the Australian Ninja gyms are indoors and have coaches or trainers to help you get the most out of your gym experience.
Ninja Warrior training is a fun way to make the most out of your fitness journey. Ninja gyms are a creative space that have a whole host of different obstacles from the humble Monkey Bars to the infamous Salmon Ladder and the Warped Wall, just like on the Australian Ninja Warrior TV show.
Competing in local Ninja Warrior events adds to the full experience of the small, grassroots sport, but is competing in Ninja Warrior an important part of the journey? Let’s take a investigate this as we look at the Head to Head Competition at The Compound Training in Bayswater.
Are Ninja Competitions Necessary For Your Training?
A little while ago, we asked a stack of Ninjas of all skills, age, fitness and competition level whether local Ninja competitions were important and we got a consistent ‘No’. But almost every answer came with a caveat; “but competing definitely adds to your overall fitness journey experience.”
“There’s plenty of good ninjas that love training, having fun with their pals and not competing” but the Head to Head race over the weekend was a prime example why you might want to give some serious consideration to adding a monthly Ninja Competition to your training schedule.
A gentle nudge
The Compound Training Ninja Competitions each month are all-inclusive. With Rookie, Ninja and Ninja Elite categories, almost anyone of any skill level can jump in and have a go. It’s not a requirement to be the strongest, fastest, or most skillful Ninja out there but the added challenge of beating the clock or of someone chasing you down provides the small kick-in-the-bum motivation we sometimes need.
Very few people don’t have little competitions with their friends. It could be who can eat dinner the fastest, who can pick the most berries, who has the most dogs or, damn near anything it seems. Friendly banter that leads to small, harmless rivalries but it’s healthy battles between friends that helps ensure we reach our full potential, right?
That certainly seemed to be the case at the Round 5 of the 2022 Compound Monthly Ninja Warrior Competition. If we talk about the vibe, it was wild. Each and every Ninja brought their A game and it showed.
It's not over until the bell has been rung
In the Head To Head battle, it’s Fastest Ninja Wins, not furthest fastest.
During the seeding round, Ninjas could attempt an obstacle 3 times, whereas in the final head to head battles, Ninjas were given 3 attempts total across the length of the course. A forgiving option to not run the perfect race made the Head to Head competition a great way to prove your training and test your skills.
With fails allowed, an early fall meant there was still hope. On a few occasions, a Ninja stepped off the balance beam and had to retry. Their competitor kept going and looked to have it in the bag but with allowed falls, there was the chance that they’d catch up. Almost every time, when it came to the final obstacle, a rope climb, Ninjas were back side by side.
That constant battle, the back and forth between Ninjas helped push the times faster and faster. it put athletes under more pressure to perform and keeps them on their toes for longer. The Barefoot Ninja, Daniel Mason, thrives in competition and in his final head to head battle punched out an amazing 33.76 second course completion against fierce rival Melvin Solo.
The Vibe
Training is cool but the vibe at a competition is way cooler. If you’re training, it’s great to have goals, aspirations and dreams but the numbers can seem too far off into the distance sometimes. And we all know how sometimes progress seems to slow to a backwards crawl.
But let me tell you that the vibe (oh how I dislike that word, vibe), the vibe at a Ninja Warrior competition, my friends, is going to prove undoubtedly that you’re doing well.
Even though the head to head format caused quite the stink on the 2022 Australian Ninja Warrior Semi Finals, there’s no doubt it’s an exciting format to be a part of. People lined the course edge cheering each and every competitor on and pushing them towards their goals.
As much as each Ninja brought their A game for their run, they brought equal enthusiasm for cheering on their friends and rivals. It was a great example of the tight-knit community so many Ninjas talk about.
So, why compete in Ninja Warrior?
At some stage you’re going to want proof that your hard work is paying off. Sometimes it’s testing you max lifts in the squat rack, sometimes it’s getting that illusive raise at work, but when the effort is being put in, we love seeing the results. In a grassroots sport like Ninja Warrior, local competition is a great opportunity to test it all out.
Get amongst it. Get down to the next Compound Competition and see what we’re talking about.
The Compound Ninja - July, 2022; Results
Rookie:
Lionel Lee – 0:59.88
Tasha Palmer – 1:19.56
Ninjas
- Kaiden – 47.22
- Joel Richardson – 1:07.01
- Daniel Thompson – 1:08.09
- Kyle – 1:09.77
- Tuckey – 1:10.28
- Andrew – 1:11.78
- Alec Richardson – 1:11.78
- Lachlan Reeders – 1:14.68
- Mimi – 1:19.22
- Shony – 1:21.68
- Melissa Crawley – 1:22.97
- Hayley Brown – 1:26.03
- Livia – 1:39.17
- Anne – 1:25.51
- Shannon Huckey – 1:53.00
Ninja Elite
- Daniel Mason – 33.76
- Luke Schmitzer – 37.47
- Matt Marazita – 38.06
- Jake Baker – 40354
- Leo Hermawan – 44.10
- Brodan Goepel – 45.01
- Kadeem Aarons – 49.72
- Michael Fisher – 49.80
- Steve Taylor-Madin – 51.78
- Ben Davies – 52.68
- Alex Izadi – 55.18
- Paul Reid – 1:03.73
- Clem Vertigan – 1:06.28
- Melvin Solo – 1:06.82
- Steve Axis – 1:09.26
- Hugo Buitrago – 1:09.91
- Vivek Mishra – 1:19.66
- Darren Baker – 1:27.71
- Dan Smith – 1:41.44
- Kobi Morris – 1:46.67
- Josh Harrison – 1:09.12 (Cliff Hanger)
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This post was proudly supported by
The Compound Training
172 Canterbury Rd
Bayswater
0438 570 083
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5 Easton Ave
Seaford
0472 680 760
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