West Hartford teen Luc Kemmerer is a competitor in the sport of “Ninja.”

By Tracey Weiss

Jumping, climbing, swinging, traversing, balance, and floor skills – these are just a few of the things a ninja athlete will do in an obstacle course. And 13-year-old Luc Kemmerer knows all about what to expect when he competes in the sport known simply known as “Ninja.”

Luc, an eighth grader at Sedgwick Middle School, has been into the sport since 2017, “when he went to a friend’s party at a ninja gym,” said his mother, Claudia Kemmerer. “We signed him up. He’s been doing ninja for seven years and competing for five. In 2019, he went to his first national championships, which just happened to be here in Hartford. Each year, he’s gotten more serious. We’ve done more venturing out and traveling to see him compete.”

Luc’s even got an obstacle course of his own in the family’s backyard, where he spends as much time as he can working on different skills and developing new ones.

Luc goes to he goes to a gym twice a week in Danbury called Ninja Mania and once a week he goes to WeHa Fit on Park Road, where he is trained by owner Mike Walker.

“We set up a circuit training obstacle course at the gym where he works on strength,” Walker said. “I never give him the same workout when he comes here. I come up with 10 new exercises each week, for upper, lower core and flexibility, mobility, and balance.

“He’s developed core strength and upper grip strength. He’s great – a very determined young man. We make it fun. Luc is a warrior. He just keeps getting better.”

In fact, Luc’s recent statistics are impressive: He came in third in season standings in New England for his age division, and ranked twelfth out of 210 ninjas in his age division at the 2023 World Ninja League Championship. He made it to stage 3 there.

Television shows like “American Ninja Warrior” have made the sport of ninja popular. According to a 2020 article in Sports Travel Magazine called “Ninja Makes its Move to the Mainstream,” here is one of the reasons why: “Beyond the television spectacle, the sport known more commonly as ninja in recent years has developed an event infrastructure across the United States and other parts of the world, mostly in local gyms that host various regional competitions … the action in the sport of ninja is fast, compelling and challenging.”

Gyms that hold the competitions each create their own different obstacle courses. Earned points are based on skills, balance, and agility, as well as how many obstacles are completed.

There are also many leagues an athlete can join. Luc is in the World Ninja League, formerly the National Ninja League. 
Competitions are fun and, well, competitive. “In the competitions, there are no practice runs,” said Luc’s father, Rick Kemmerer. “You can only use knowledge to do it. If you’re not first you can watch others and plan your strategy.”

“I’ve run early a lot,” Luc said about going first in the competitions. “I got used to it. Now I prefer running earlier. When I run earlier, I get it out of the way and have fun.”

Rick and Claudia enjoy the sport and encourage other parents to let their children try it out. “Have them try out a class,” Rick said.
“Some of the worst injuries are blisters,” Claudia said, and Luc certainly has developed some over the years. “It’s only dangerous if you don’t train and learn. Learn how to do things like land safely.”

There’s another reason both Luc and his parents enjoy ninja. “It’s a big community,” Claudia said. “The parents are close. We see each other all the time.”

The ninjas are good friends too. “Luc loves seeing his buddies,” she added. “They come back to their group of friends and tell them how the course is. They’re excited for each other when they see one of their friends crush the course.”

Why “ninja”?

Classes to train in the sport of ninja are available for all ages, and the most competitive ninja athletes can earn money competing when they get a little older. Here, according to Gymnasticshq.com, are 10 reasons to enroll your child in a ninja class:

1. Ninja classes will make your child strong
2. Ninja classes will make your child a well-rounded athlete, and teach them skills that are important in other sports.
3. Ninja classes will teach your child to jump.
4. Ninja classes will teach your child body control.
5. Ninja classes will improve your child’s agility.
6. Ninja classes will strengthen your child’s bones.
7. Ninja classes will improve your child’s balance.
8. Ninja classes will increase your child’s flexibility.
9. Your child will learn how to fall.
10. Ninja classes will improve your child’s coordination.

A version of this story originally appeared in the January 2024 issue of West Hartford LIFE.

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