One Snarky Chica with Issues

I am not a big fan of reality TV, and usually change the channel when a reality television show is on.  However, I have discovered the best show on cable television, which just happens to be a reality television show, and I suspect that you are not watching it – and you should be because you are missing out on some quality entertainment.   Ninja Warrior is the best show on cable television that you are probably missing out on. Ninja Warrior currently airs in the United States on the G4 channel at 6:30 pm and 10:30 pm on week nights, as well as the occasional marathon on weekend days.

Ninja Warrior is a Japanese show competition show that is part American Gladiators and part Fear Factor, and it does have English subtitles on the screen.   Ninja Warrior is a competition that consists of four stages that increase in difficulty which takes place in Japan twice yearly.  

In Stage One of Ninja Warrior, participants race against the clock in a test of speed.  Their goal is to reach the opposite end of the obstacle course, without falling in the water, and hit the buzzer before time runs out. Approximately 95% of participants never make it past this round, as even if a toe grazes the water they are disqualified.  Most meet their demise at the warped wall, which is an approximately 15 foot concave wall that participants have to run up and grasp the top and then pull themselves over. Some recurring obstacles include the rolling log, the rope swing and the jump hang.  The jump hang is another common problem spot for participants. 

Stage Two of Ninja Warrior sees a greatly reduced number of participants attempting to conquer even more challenging obstacles.  As with Stage One, there it is a timed course and there is water below the obstacle course, where many participants meet their doom in the competition. Currently, there have been less than 200 participants reach Stage Two since the beginning of Ninja Warrior competitions in 1998. Some of the recurring obstacles in this stage include the spider walk and the lifting walls. 

Stage Three is the first un-timed course in the Ninja Warrior competition. As with the previous stages, a pit of muddy water lies below the obstacles waiting to claim any participants that make a mistake on the course. Some obstacles that have appeared in Stage Three are the rumbling dice, the pipe slider and the curtain cling.  These obstacles, unlike those in the previous stages, seem to rely more on upper body strength in the participants. 

Stage Four, which has only been completed by two participants to date, is a timed course with only two obstacles – the wall climb and the rope climb. While these are similar to obstacles in previous stages, the catch is that the participant must complete them in only 30 seconds. After a mere 15 seconds, the wall climb self destructs resulting in anyone still on it to fall and be disqualified. The rope climb does the same thing when time is up for the round. In the event that someone does complete this stage successfully, they are dubbed a ‘true Ninja Warrior’ and are awarded a cash prize.  

Participants on Ninja Warrior have included Olympic athletes, military personnel, pro-wrestlers and everyday average people like gas station managers and firefighters. Fans of the show are used to seeing some of the same competitors time and time again as they persevere on in their quest to become a Ninja Warrior. Ninja Warrior is currently in its 10^th year and can be seen weeknights on the G4 channel.