Obstacles are essential to the sport of ninja. They play a vital role in training, competitions and are the main topic of discussion by fans and athletes alike. Much of the focus in ninja is often on the obstacles. But, do you ever stop to consider how obstacles got up there? This is where rigs come in!

In ninja, a rig to refers to the apparatus used to support obstacles. This often fixed piece of equipment is one of the most important pieces found in ninja. Rigs are the primary way obstacles are set in place. Obstacles are typically mounted to a rig using clamps, runners or other hardware. We’ll cover clamps, runners and other hardware in an upcoming section.

Often times rigs take the shape of a box or rectangle. The rig has a length, a width, and a height associated with it. The picture shows a 3-D model of a DGS Steel Rig used to hang ninja equipment.

In addition to being essential, it is crucial rigs are structural enough to support the weight of both obstacle and athlete! This essential piece of equipment comes in many different forms. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular forms.

Aluminum Truss

Aluminum truss is one of the most popular forms of trussing found in the community. This rig is known for it’s shiny metallic look. This rig is often the primary choice for TV production due to it’s esthetic appeal.

It’s important to note aluminum rigs come in different thicknesses, sizes and connector types.

Steel Rigs

Steel rigs are commonly found in ninja facilities. These sturdy rigs are often custom manufactured and specifically designed with ninja obstacles in mind.

Steel rigs can typically be powder coated in different colors to match branding.

It’s important to note they often require different equipment to mount obstacles compared to aluminum rigs.

Other Rigs

Steel and aluminum rigs are the two primary rigs found in ninja. We use a mix of both at our Championship competitions. There are a few other forms of rigs that exist in ninja. You may come across bar rigs or wooden rigs. These rigs can also be used to hang obstacles. However, they are often independently constructed and designed. We won’t be covering these rigs in this training.

Note: We recommend consulting a structural engineer if considering a custom design rig.

Summary

This concludes our training on ninja rigs. At this point you should be familiar with how rigs are used and the two primary types of rigs found in ninja.