Want to be a ninja? This new Oak Creek gym, run by an American Ninja Warrior, could help.
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Have you ever wanted to become a ninja?
A new gym swinging into Oak Creek will allow both kids and adults to do just that.
Ultimate Ninjas is working to open its first Wisconsin location at 400 W. Bell Court.
“We’ve actually had our eyes on the Milwaukee area to do an Ultimate Ninjas for years,” said Mike "The Stallion" Silenzi, co-owner of the Libertyville, Illinois, location and future operator of the Oak Creek facility. The gyms are franchised, and Silenzi said this would be the first he could call “my gym.”
He said Oak Creek was “the perfect community for what we offer.”
Ultimate Ninjas could open in Oak Creek in February 2024
Silenzi anticipates approvals from the city to come in early November. Assuming everything is approved, he hopes to open Feb. 1, 2024.
Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz called the facility “another unique offering in the city of Oak Creek,” during the Oct. 10 plan commission meeting.
“(It’s) something neat for probably kids and adults, definitely for the kids,” Bukiewicz said.
Silenzi has competed on 'American Ninja Warrior' for 10 seasons
The facility will allow all ages to recreate and train ― maybe one day to appear on American Ninja Warrior like Silenzi himself.
“That’s what got me into ninja as a sport was the TV show,” he said. “I’ve been a competitor on American Ninja Warrior for 10 seasons. I’ve had a lot of success on the show.”
When he first got involved in the show, Silenzi said there weren’t any gyms to train on the types of courses seen on television.
“We’re creating a new sport,” Silenzi said, describing the Ultimate Ninjas' facilities as “a jungle gym on steroids.”
While there’s no official tie-in between the Ultimate Ninjas gyms and the NBC television show, many competitors on American Ninja Warrior train and have been filmed in the facilities as part of the hit program, Silenzi said.
The first locations opened in the Chicagoland area and expanded from there. Now, according to the Ultimate Ninjas website, there are five gyms in Illinois (Chicago, Elmhurst, Libertyville, Naperville and Glenview), along with locations in Noblesville, Indiana, Anaheim, California, and Chesterfield, Missouri.
What types of classes or events will be offered or supported at the facility?
“We’re for everybody,” Silenzi said, adding it’s probably 85-90% kids.
A typical week at one of these facilities starts with adult fitness classes ― some on obstacles, others not. The middle of the day is for the “Little Ninja” classes with “scaled-down activities,” according to Silenzi.
Later in the day are classes mostly for those over 5 years old with some Little Ninja offerings.
After-school classes range from kids as young as 3 up to around 15 or 16 years old.
Classes are billed monthly, Silenzi said. They’re “designed and led by professional ninja athletes who train to conquer the same obstacles seen on the NBC hit show,” according to the Ultimate Ninjas website.
Open gym is offered for those 16 or older, Silenzi said. The cost for open gym is $15 for one hour or $25 for two hours. Longer membership options are available at a discount, he said.
Birthday parties and other activities will also be offered at Ultimate Ninjas in Oak Creek
Saturdays and Sundays are typically for birthday parties.
“It’s the ultimate birthday party if you come here,” Silenzi said, adding someone already reached out interested to schedule a party in Oak Creek.
Birthdays have more to them than playing. Classes can teach and “this can become your sport,” Silenzi said. There are different packages for birthdays depending on how many kids will be in attendance. The gym will be sectioned off, so the parties are private.
“When you’re playing it’s just your group,” Silenzi said.
Ultimate Ninjas also facilitates school field trips, corporate team building activities and more.
Oak Creek Senior Planner Kari Papelbon said Oct. 10 the facility expects 20 kids and adults on weekday evenings with 45 children and 45 adults/guardians on weekends for parties.
What will be unique about the Oak Creek facility?
“This is going to be our biggest and best location yet,” Silenzi said.
It’s the first time an Ultimate Ninjas will offer a Little Ninja section for 3- to 5-year-olds from day one.
Silenzi said the most popular obstacle is the warped wall and Oak Creek will feature multiple sizes for different skill sets from 8 feet high up to 18 ½ feet. A more traditional rock-climbing wall will also be offered.
Another unique feature being planned is a trampoline with a foam pit.
“That’s not typical of a normal Ultimate Ninjas, but it’s going to be really fun,” Silenzi said.
Why should you try an Ultimate Ninjas gym?
Silenzi made it clear everything is “padded and safe.”
“This sport really complements any other sport you want to do,” he said. “We’re running, we’re jumping, we’re swinging, we’re doing all the things that the human body is meant to do.”
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter @Redheadliner.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Competitor on 'American Ninja Warrior' plans to open gym in Oak Creek
