Minoru gripped the rope between his hands and took a deep breath. He was standing at the base of Manhattan Chase, but in his mind, he was looking up at Mount Midoriyama. He had yet to reach the fourth and final American Ninja Warrior obstacle in real competition, but one day - hopefully next year! - he would.
“Ready?” Damien asked as he set the stopwatch to thirty seconds. Minoru nodded. “Then, go!”
Minoru jumped onto the rope, pulling his knees as high as he could before snapping the arches of his feet together around it.
The pups had been working with him on a different rope position, one that effectively wrapped the rope around the outside of the leg, which was one way they stood on the rope with very little effort. But Minoru hadn’t quite nailed it yet. He was faster with the rope between his legs - at least for now.
“Good push off. Keep your core engaged! Push and pull! Find your rhythm!” Damien coached from down below.
Unlike most American Ninja Warrior hopefuls, Minoru had the leg part figured out. It was his upper body strength that lagged behind. This obstacle, more than any of the others, required both to work in perfect unity while moving at full speed. Minoru had yet to fully slip into the zone, as he often did while freerunning. His mind still had to focus too much on proper technique, like pulling himself up arm over arm while stretching his legs out at the same time.
There really was a rhythm to it. The Dogs could shoot up this rope and put any of the previous American Ninja Warrior champions to shame! Maybe one day, Minoru would be able to do that too.
But it wasn’t going to be today.
“Six! Five! Four!”
Minoru looked up to the flag that marked the required 75 feet. (Roughly eight stories up).
“Three! Two!”
He tried to go faster in those last few seconds, even lunging for it. But he was not close enough.
“And TIME!!”
Minoru clenched the rope as he wrapped it around the outside of his foot. He looked at what floor he was effectively on.
“Six and a half…” he sighed, as he started to carefully slide back down. Damien waited patiently at the bottom for Minoru to land, and to shake out his hands, stretch his arms and roll his shoulders. “Not my best run.”
“No, but your form continues to improve. Keep working your biceps and forearms with underhanded pull-ups. And remember, do not ever stop to check your progress, even when the buzzers start going off. Every second you look is at least three seconds your mind and body are doing something other than climbing. Do not look. Do not even glance.”
Minoru nodded.
“Back on the rope. No time limit this round, no pressure. I want you just to focus on the rhythm of the climb…”
“Okay.” He nodded again. One day, he’d clear Mount Midoriyama. One day…
Making Haste
“Ready?” Damien asked as he set the stopwatch to thirty seconds. Minoru nodded. “Then, go!”
Minoru jumped onto the rope, pulling his knees as high as he could before snapping the arches of his feet together around it.
The pups had been working with him on a different rope position, one that effectively wrapped the rope around the outside of the leg, which was one way they stood on the rope with very little effort. But Minoru hadn’t quite nailed it yet. He was faster with the rope between his legs - at least for now.
“Good push off. Keep your core engaged! Push and pull! Find your rhythm!” Damien coached from down below.
Unlike most American Ninja Warrior hopefuls, Minoru had the leg part figured out. It was his upper body strength that lagged behind. This obstacle, more than any of the others, required both to work in perfect unity while moving at full speed. Minoru had yet to fully slip into the zone, as he often did while freerunning. His mind still had to focus too much on proper technique, like pulling himself up arm over arm while stretching his legs out at the same time.
There really was a rhythm to it. The Dogs could shoot up this rope and put any of the previous American Ninja Warrior champions to shame! Maybe one day, Minoru would be able to do that too.
But it wasn’t going to be today.
“Six! Five! Four!”
Minoru looked up to the flag that marked the required 75 feet. (Roughly eight stories up).
“Three! Two!”
He tried to go faster in those last few seconds, even lunging for it. But he was not close enough.
“And TIME!!”
Minoru clenched the rope as he wrapped it around the outside of his foot. He looked at what floor he was effectively on.
“Six and a half…” he sighed, as he started to carefully slide back down. Damien waited patiently at the bottom for Minoru to land, and to shake out his hands, stretch his arms and roll his shoulders. “Not my best run.”
“No, but your form continues to improve. Keep working your biceps and forearms with underhanded pull-ups. And remember, do not ever stop to check your progress, even when the buzzers start going off. Every second you look is at least three seconds your mind and body are doing something other than climbing. Do not look. Do not even glance.”
Minoru nodded.
“Back on the rope. No time limit this round, no pressure. I want you just to focus on the rhythm of the climb…”
“Okay.” He nodded again. One day, he’d clear Mount Midoriyama. One day…