Goddamn Brownies

If you have never caught the show Ninja Warrior, you are missing out! I have been a fan of this ultimate, and insane, Japanese obstacle course for a while now and every episode I catch captivates me just as much as the first time.

Ninja Warrior, or Sasuke as it is know in its native Japan, began in 1997 and has triumphed through to present day. The usual contest consists of 100 competitors starting with the first stage, where most will meet their fate. There are three stages total and then the final obstacle, spider climbing, or rope climbing, up the 74 feet of Mount Midoriyama in 30 seconds. Currently, after 21 series, there have only been two men to complete the whole course. That should tell you how hard the obstacles can be.

On Saturday G4, where you American's can watch this great program, aired a marathon of the all female Ninja Warrior competition, known as Kunoichi in Japan. I watched a few episodes and had to leave so I let my DVR catch the rest of the day. Damn, some of these women are amazing athletes. Tonight I finished watching all of the most current series, and while no one made it past the third stage, only four made it to the second, it was still a great time.

CLICK HERE for a video of the amazing Ayako Miyake completing all four stages for the third consecutive time (stupid account disabled embedding for this video). Make sure you tune into G4 on Tuesday nights, and many times on the weekend, to catch this fine program. Soon you'll be ready to tackle Unbeatable Banzuke (Kinniku Banzuke)!