By Jessica Koslow
Upon entering the Los Angeles Ninja Academy, guests are greeted by the Mega Wall, Triple Salmon Ladder, Pipe Coaster, Spider Wall, and Devil Steps, obstacles that may look familiar from the reality TV show, “American Ninja Warrior.” The 7,000-square-foot facility filled with black and red obstacles on Jefferson Boulevard in the Del Rey section of Culver City is the first ninja warrior training facility in Los Angeles. Owner Madelyn Scarpulla is hoping to turn the West Coast into a hotspot for ninja warrior training.
“On the East Coast, ninja warrior is popular as a sport for kids,” said Scarpulla, who traveled hours with her son from her home in New York to train at ninja warrior gyms before opening her own in New York City. “Kids compete in the World Ninja League, which is prominent in New England and the Northeast and is growing in the Southeast. My goal is to bring awareness to the sport for kids and adults and to help grow the league.”
Scarpulla, a music industry veteran who has held positions at record labels and a radio station, made the decision to switch careers to ninja warrior training in 2019. She owns and operates New York City Ninja Academy, Brooklyn Ninja Academy, and now Los Angeles Ninja Academy, which soft-opened more than a month ago, started classes on Aug. 26, and, after adding more obstacles, hosted its grand opening on Aug. 31.
“We have created a close-knit community of talented ninja athletes in Manhattan and Brooklyn,” Scarpulla said. “It has been very rewarding to witness friendships blossom and athletic milestones achieved as a result of our ninja program. I am thrilled to bring the first World Ninja League sanctioned ninja training facility to Los Angeles, and I am looking forward to creating another welcoming and supportive community of athletes to the sport of ninja warrior.”
Scarpulla is visibly excited as she mixes and mingles with guests at the grand opening of Los Angeles Ninja Academy. On hand to help celebrate was Jessie Graff, “American Ninja Warrior’s” most recognizable athlete. In addition to being the first woman to accomplish numerous “first” feats on the program since 2016, Graff is also a successful, award-winning Hollywood stuntwoman who has appeared in “G.I. Joe,” “Transformers,” and “The Dark Knight.” She is also trained in skydiving, stunt driving, and flying trapeze.
“Jessie is one of the most prominent American Ninja Warrior athletes, having broken records and paved the way for women in the sport,” Scarpulla said. “As a woman business owner and athlete, I respect Jessie’s role as a mentor.”
Graff is so dedicated to the ninja warrior sport that she installed monkey bars in her own kitchen. One TikTok video shows her preparing lunch with a friend as she swings from stove to fridge, picking out eggs and flipping veggies in the pan.
Daniella Blanchard, Jessie Graff, and Madelyn Scarpulla stand shoulder to shoulder as amazing role models. (Sarah Madison Photography/Submitted)
A new addition to the LA calendar, Graff will teach a monthly ninja warrior training session for ages 40 and older in which she offers tips, tricks, and advice on gaining strength and technique, setting and achieving progressive goals, and overcoming fears.
At the grand opening, Graff was joined by Los Angeles Ninja Academy’s lead ninja coach and program director, Daniella Blanchard, who is a star in her own right. She has also appeared on “American Ninja Warrior” (Season 16) and currently holds a few championship titles. The two experienced ninja warriors kept busy filming a livestream and coaching kids in small group and one-on-one sessions.
The kids engaged in obstacles that made them hop like bunnies from elevated stump to stump in a straight line, crisscross jump from triangular block to block, hang and swing from ring to ring, balance on stools and step over posts, and run up a wall and hang up high.
The obstacles present tough mental and physical challenges, which is exactly the double takeaway the academy hopes the participants receive. During their training, kids learn to adopt innovative approaches to setting, achieving, and surpassing fitness and mental goals.
Los Angeles Ninja Academy is open to kids ages 3.5 to 13 and adults, which includes ages 14 and older.
“Once a kid turns 14, we can put them in with the adults,” Scarpulla said. “They can hang with the adults, and they do not often want to be with the younger kids anymore.”
The classes are packaged in 10-week, semester-based progressive training for three separate age groups: 6 to 7, 8 to 9, and 10 to 13. Mini ninja 45-minute classes are offered for ages 3.5 to 5 on weekends, and drop-ins are permitted on Friday and Sunday afternoons. Homeschooler classes are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2:15 p.m. as are private lessons and corporate team-building events by arrangement. Coach Jason Grossman of “American Ninja Warrior” leads a group training for all levels for Queer Ninja Nights on the last Thursday of every month.
“We start the 10-week curriculum by introducing the sport with the safety points and the basic obstacles so the kids get the idea of how the training works,” Scarpulla explained. “It gets progressively more difficult, and they get stronger and learn more tips and techniques. We would eventually like to have the kids compete in league competitions once we start hosting them.”
Scarpulla shared that Los Angeles Ninja Academy is scheduled to host their first World Ninja League competition Jan. 17-22, 2025.
Los Angeles Ninja Academy also offers 90-minute birthday parties for ages 6 and older on weekends. Kids participate in 7 to 8 different warrior obstacles, and toward the end of the party every kid completes a course run. The birthday star is allowed to complete the run twice.
Ninja warrior training was popularized by the reality show, “American Ninja Warrior,” which takes its inspiration from the Japanese sports entertainment TV show, “Sasuke.” On the air since 1997, “Sasuke” introduced fans to the obstacle course competition format. In 2006, cable channel G4 started airing “Sasuke” as well as “The American Ninja Challenge,” a nationwide competition that sent American competitors to Japan to compete in “Sasuke” (called “Ninja Warrior” in the U.S.). “The American Ninja Challenge” eventually merged into “American Ninja Warrior” and premiered in 2009 on G4 and then moved to NBC in 2012.
The basic premise of the show is for competitors to conquer a set of obstacle courses, which are divided into Qualifiers courses, Semifinals courses, and a four-part Finals course, in various cities. A contestant who completes all the courses in the fastest time wins a cash prize of $1 million.
“Besides it being the most fun kids can have exercising, ninja training provides discipline and mental development,” Scarpulla said. “We hope…kids learn to focus and improve their minds. As they gain strength and coordination, they also gain confidence. We love to hear from parents that they see a positive change in their kids and that they form true connections with their coaches.”
Los Angeles Ninja Academy
11814 West Jefferson Boulevard, Culver City
213-215-2696
laninjas.com
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