Shinobi training for all ages: Ninja Sports Toys

Doesn’t feel like all that long since we blogged about the Ninja Trainer shuriken throwing kit. As of this month, it’s not the only training merch you can order from Japan, either. The range of shinobi-friendly goods approved by the Japan Ninja Council’s getting bigger – soon, there’ll be a full series of Ninja Sports Toys.

They’re ‘toys’ – but trust that they’ll train you well

New items bring the Ninja Sports Toy lineup to 5 toys. They’re more like tools or equipment, each designed to test and strengthen a different ninja skill. (like Ninja Trainer = throwing accuracy.)

So – of course – the only way to be well-rounded is to buy the lot. Can’t say that ninjas aren’t clever.

Ninja Slider (the endurance test)

Work on your reactions and reflexes! Slide like the wind!

The Ninja Slider’s an electronic floor panel you can skid along. The type of exercise kit skaters use to hone their agility and endurance. It’s made for age 8 and up.

There’s a ‘game mode’ and a ‘training mode’, but they both feel like training. Swoosh from side to side, touching the buttons and sensors on the floor as you go. The panel’s nearly 2 metres long, so you can get a decent slide in each time. Hitting the marks helps the Ninja Slider track your speed, accuracy and reflexes.

Once you get into a groove, there’ll be no stopping you. That grownup ninja in the video makes it look so easy. (But you can totally tell he wasn’t pressing the buttons sometimes…)

Ninjumper (the agility test)

Yeah. That’s a ninja-themed trampoline. And it has a funny name – even better than that, the official name goes full ninja and looks like a typo (NinjAmper). This is easily our fave new training tool.

The Ninjumper’s suitable for ‘age 6 and up’. No age limit written on the other end, so… we’re not gonna stop you. No max body weight listed either, but all this ninja workout time should tone you up real good.

Each trampoline kit comes with an instruction video, hosted by a ninjumping expert. Start with the ‘beginner’ lessons, and work your way up to ‘advanced’.

Something epic called an ‘Impact Flash’ goes off when you get the jump right. It’s those purple and green lights you can see in the pic above. Learn to control the light, and you’ll be bouncing like a ninja master in no time.

And that’s not all – think how fit your legs and stomach are gonna look by then!

Ninja Bouldering (the muscle strength test)

You don’t see home bouldering kits that often…

And you won’t get much chance to experience it for yourself. The recommended age range for Ninja Bouldering is 2 to 7 years old. The climbing sections won’t hold more than 30kg at a time, either, so don’t think you can sneakily try and get away with it.

So this one’s a trial for the ninjas who’ll come after you.

Any shinobi worth their salt needs wall climbing power. That ability to overcome tall obstacles – in real life, and in your heart and mind. Starting the kids on physical and mental prep early will serve them well.

Set it up in either ‘wall style’ or ‘moat style’ (both shown in the pic), and let the young apprentices begin their climb. You can also get an extension kit for Ninja Bouldering, doubling the wall’s height. If there’s enough space in your room, why the hell not?

When we say this is the ‘muscle’ test, what the item info says is that it’s ‘full body muscle training’. Any young ninja apprentice who takes on Ninja Bouldering’s in for an intense workout. Be ready for them to fall asleep straight after.

Ninja Wheel (the balance and tricks test)

The ninja unicycle’s inspired by extreme sports, like skateboarding and BMX bikes – but they had to take wheels off and make it harder. You’re not gonna reach that ninja skill level otherwise.

It comes in 2 sizes: an 18-inch wheel (for kids) and a 20-inch wheel (for teens and adults), both with 36 spokes. You can adjust the height as well. The tyre’s a thick, BMX-inspired choice with high air volume, stability and durability. They’ve taken this stuff seriously – plastics would’ve been too easily breakable.

When you take another close look at the Ninja Wheel, you might think there’s something up with the paint. Nope, even that’s ‘cracked’ on purpose. Each unicycle’s hand-finished, so the cracking’s gonna look slightly different for every single Ninja Wheel.

And the site claims the removable ‘QuickTake’ pedal’s the first in the world to be fitted to a unicycle. It can be taken off and reattached without needing any tools. Great for if you get a shinobi shoelace tangled up in one…

Become a balanced warrior in black

Every Ninja Sports Toy training item we’ve listed should be on sale by the end of 2019. Ninja Trainer’s already been out for a while. The design and colour of all items is subject to change before release, so take the pics we’ve used in this post as a guide.

You can order these kinds of ninja goods from Japan using DEJAPAN’s online proxy shopping services.