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When most people hear the word "ninja," they think of the stealthy martial-arts archetype.
But for Lucas Reale of Bridgewater, ninja means competition.
"I was a super fan of the TV show 'Sasuke,' which started over in Japan," he said. "Then when 'American Ninja Warrior' came on, I started watching that, and I just fell in love with it."
Reale has been training and competing in the sport of "ninja," an obstacle-based discipline, for 11 years. Recently, he made an appearance on the television show American Ninja Warrior in the show's East Regional Finals.
"Growing up, I always was watching that and thought, 'This would be so cool for me to do one day,'" he said. "I've been doing ninja every single week since the day I stepped into a gym."
Reale certainly showed up, qualifying for the show's next round, the national finals, which begin airing on Monday, Aug. 10.
Reale competed in the regional finals alongside Matt D'Amico of Watertown. The two of them co-own Ascent, an obstacle training gym primarily operated in Kingston. Reale said they also recently opened up a new location in Marlborough.
"When Matt and I came together, our goal was just to provide a high level of training to anybody who walks in," he said. "That goes from our most competitive kids (and) we have women in their 50s who come in and train, and we want to provide that same level of training to them."
B-R teacher is 'American Ninja princess' Ex-Miss Taunton chases a dream all the way to American Ninja Warrior stage
Reale said supporting the next generation of athletes has become a big part of his passion for the sport.
"There's no other sport like it that teaches kids how to process failure, how to get back up, how to learn discipline," he said. "Being able to give all of those lessons to the new generation and watch them succeed at a high level ... It's something I've always dreamed of."
Reale said the competitive ninja scene has evolved a lot through the years, with more and more younger faces taking an interest in the sport.
"When I started, there wasn't as big of a following, so it's kind of easier to get into," he said. "Nowadays, getting into ninja is pretty hard because all of the younger kids are so talented."
"It's such a unique thing," he said. "Where else do you ever hang from your fingers?"
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Reale said the gym is open to all ages, as outside of a competitive interest, there's a lot to be gained from the sport.
"It's a really good fundamental sport for all (of) life," he said. "When we do ninja, it's an absolute full body sport. It trains your balance, it trains your coordination ... A lot of the high level training comes down to a lot of pulling strength."
"We want everybody who steps into our gym to enjoy ninja as much as we do," he said, "and to bring that passion to everybody who we can."
Reale said he's had the opportunity to compete alongside two students that he's been training since they were 5.
"In the episode ... when Matt and I raced, all three of us got to hit buzzers," he said. "That was an unbelievable opportunity. Just to be able to see from start to finish how much growth some of these kids can have is incredible."
Reale said ninja has given a lot to him, and giving back has become one of the most rewarding parts.
"As much as I still enjoy competing as an athlete myself, being able to watch people around me and try and build them up has been amazing," he said.
Reale will make his next American Ninja Warrior appearance when he performs in the competition's national finals, which begin Monday, Aug. 10 on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Bridgewater super fan wins big on American Ninja Warrior. What's next?
Continue reading...
But for Lucas Reale of Bridgewater, ninja means competition.
"I was a super fan of the TV show 'Sasuke,' which started over in Japan," he said. "Then when 'American Ninja Warrior' came on, I started watching that, and I just fell in love with it."
Reale has been training and competing in the sport of "ninja," an obstacle-based discipline, for 11 years. Recently, he made an appearance on the television show American Ninja Warrior in the show's East Regional Finals.
"Growing up, I always was watching that and thought, 'This would be so cool for me to do one day,'" he said. "I've been doing ninja every single week since the day I stepped into a gym."
Reale certainly showed up, qualifying for the show's next round, the national finals, which begin airing on Monday, Aug. 10.
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Co-owner of obstacle training gym Ascent
Reale competed in the regional finals alongside Matt D'Amico of Watertown. The two of them co-own Ascent, an obstacle training gym primarily operated in Kingston. Reale said they also recently opened up a new location in Marlborough.
"When Matt and I came together, our goal was just to provide a high level of training to anybody who walks in," he said. "That goes from our most competitive kids (and) we have women in their 50s who come in and train, and we want to provide that same level of training to them."
You must be registered for see images attach
B-R teacher is 'American Ninja princess' Ex-Miss Taunton chases a dream all the way to American Ninja Warrior stage
Ninja teaches life lessons
Reale said supporting the next generation of athletes has become a big part of his passion for the sport.
"There's no other sport like it that teaches kids how to process failure, how to get back up, how to learn discipline," he said. "Being able to give all of those lessons to the new generation and watch them succeed at a high level ... It's something I've always dreamed of."
Reale said the competitive ninja scene has evolved a lot through the years, with more and more younger faces taking an interest in the sport.
"When I started, there wasn't as big of a following, so it's kind of easier to get into," he said. "Nowadays, getting into ninja is pretty hard because all of the younger kids are so talented."
"It's such a unique thing," he said. "Where else do you ever hang from your fingers?"
You must be registered for see images attach
'Alcohol kills' Brockton Karen Read true crime writer's book rockets to No. 1
Full-body sport for balance, coordination, strength
Reale said the gym is open to all ages, as outside of a competitive interest, there's a lot to be gained from the sport.
"It's a really good fundamental sport for all (of) life," he said. "When we do ninja, it's an absolute full body sport. It trains your balance, it trains your coordination ... A lot of the high level training comes down to a lot of pulling strength."
"We want everybody who steps into our gym to enjoy ninja as much as we do," he said, "and to bring that passion to everybody who we can."
Reale said he's had the opportunity to compete alongside two students that he's been training since they were 5.
"In the episode ... when Matt and I raced, all three of us got to hit buzzers," he said. "That was an unbelievable opportunity. Just to be able to see from start to finish how much growth some of these kids can have is incredible."
Reale said ninja has given a lot to him, and giving back has become one of the most rewarding parts.
"As much as I still enjoy competing as an athlete myself, being able to watch people around me and try and build them up has been amazing," he said.
You must be registered for see images attach
Where can I watch Lucas Reale competing next on 'American Ninja Warrior'?
Reale will make his next American Ninja Warrior appearance when he performs in the competition's national finals, which begin Monday, Aug. 10 on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Bridgewater super fan wins big on American Ninja Warrior. What's next?
Continue reading...
