Home page
Blog
Ninja Warrior Polska: what is it? Rules, format and participants.

Ninja Warrior Polska: what is it? Rules, format and participants.

Publication date: 23.07.2026

Category: Obstacle course races

Ninja Warrior Polska: what is it? Rules, format and participants.

Failure ends with a fall into the water and the end of the run. Finishing, however, can bring fame and motivation to train even harder. What is it? If you are even slightly interested in obstacle sports, you will certainly know the Polsat show Ninja Warrior Polska very well. Since overcoming obstacles is an essential part of ninja competition, and at SMMASH we specialise in designing and producing clothing for this discipline, in this article we will take a closer look at the topic.

Find out what the Ninja Warrior show is, what its rules are, and how to prepare and take part in it.

What is Ninja Warrior?

Ninja Warrior is a TV show in which participants take on specially prepared obstacle courses set directly above pools of water. Falling from an obstacle means an obligatory dip and is equal to the end of the competition. The original version of this global format is Sasuke, which debuted in Japan back in the 1990s.

The show is produced in, among other countries, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel and, of course, Poland.

In Poland, each edition (season) consists of 7 episodes broadcast weekly on Polsat. Episodes 1 to 6 are the qualifiers and semi-finals. At the start, we can watch all competitors, of whom 10 advance to the semi-final and 4 of them (including 1 golden ticket winner) go through to the final. Episode 7 is the culmination of a given season, namely the grand final, featuring only the very best.

When can you follow this kind of competition?

Ninja Warrior Polska episodes are traditionally broadcast on Polsat every Tuesday at 20:05. Each one lasts around 2 hours.

The Ninja Warrior programme in Poland - a few interesting facts

The editions of this TV show to date have been very well received by the Polish audience, which has also helped promote disciplines such as ninja competitions and obstacle course racing (OCR).

Interestingly, so far only one participant has managed to beat the final challenge (climbing the rope within the set time) and, at the same time, claim the main prize and the Ninja Warrior title. Who was it? We will get to that in a moment.

Those who went the furthest in a given edition (overcame the greatest number of obstacles) were awarded the title of Last Man Standing. These were:

Edition I – Jakub Zawistowski
Edition II – Robert Bandosz (our SMMASH ambassador)
Edition III – Sebastian Kasprzyk
Edition IV – Igor Fojcik (he was the first to face the final challenge - Mount Midoriyama)
Edition V – Igor Fojcik
Edition VI – Paweł Murawski
Edition VII – Jan Tatarowicz (he was the second person - together with Grzegorz Niecko - to take on Mount Midoriyama)
Edition VIII - Damian Drzewiecki (in this series, as many as 4 competitors stood beneath the legendary mountain; apart from him, they were Michał Grochola, Grzegorz Niecko and Mariusz Bulandra)

Starting from the sixth edition, awards for the best women were also introduced, and the Last Woman Standing titles went to:

Edition VI – Dorota Gadzińska
Edition VII – Katarzyna Jonaczyk
Edition VIII - Katarzyna Jonaczyk
Edition IX - Katarzyna Jonaczyk

Prizes – what can the best ninja competitors expect?

Those who go the furthest but do not conquer Mount Midoriyama can expect the Last Woman / Man Standing titles, special medals and cash prizes (from a few to several thousand zloty).

If they climb the rope within the set time and conquer Midoriyama, in addition to the legendary Ninja Warrior title, the participant also receives a commemorative statuette in the form of a shuriken star and a substantial cash prize - currently as much as 200,000 zloty).

Winner of Ninja Warrior Polska

The 9th instalment of the iconic series brought what all ninja fans had been waiting for over many years - the first Polish Ninja Warrior being crowned.

This honourable title went to Jan Tatarowicz, who first overcame all stages. Then, as the only person in Poland, he climbed the 21-metre rope within the 25-second time limit. Hitting the “buzzer” marking completion of the obstacle happened literally hundredths of a second before the official time ran out (which could only be confirmed by the replay of the climb).

In addition to the coveted Ninja Warrior title and the iconic shuriken star statuette, the winner also received a prize of 200,000 zloty.

In this edition, Wiktor “Outstanding Technician” Wójcik competed alongside Janek for the Ninja Warrior title. Unfortunately, the allotted time ran out before he could reach the top, and he therefore finished in 2nd place in the show.

Who presents Ninja Warrior?

The show is hosted by well-known figures from the worlds of sport and television: Jerzy Mielewski (sports journalist), Łukasz “Juras” Jurkowski (commentator and former MMA fighter), and Karolina Gilon. The first two have formed the permanent commentary duo since the 1st edition of the show. Ninja Warrior Polska presenter Karolina Gilon joined them from the 2nd edition, replacing Aleksandra Szwed in that role.

Celebrities in the NWP programme. Which of them had the courage to test themselves on the course?

Ninja Warrior attracts not only “ordinary” competitors. In practically every qualifying episode, well-known faces also take part, including stars of sport, music, television and other celebrities.

So far, the Ninja Warrior course has been tested by, among others: Mariusz Pudzianowski, Jan Błachowicz, FitLovers, Rafał Maślak, Tomasz Ciachorowski, Damian Janikowski, Michał Pałubski, film and TV stars, and many others.

Rules for taking part in Ninja Warrior Polska and beyond

Regardless of the country in which this kind of TV show takes place, the rules are practically the same everywhere. A participant has only 1 attempt to complete the course - without any opportunity to test any obstacles beforehand. Each obstacle also has specific rules for how it must be tackled, set by the organisers.

Differences can only be seen in:

Obstacle difficulty - the more editions there are in a given country, the more their difficulty tends to increase.
Format - in selected locations, special editions are organised (e.g. celebrity-only versions, team competitions, and even obstacle races held on two courses at the same time).

In some countries, special Ninja Warrior editions for children are also organised.

How Ninja Warrior works in Poland

Each edition of this type of show is divided into 3 stages: qualifiers, semi-finals and the grand final.

Anyone who successfully makes it through the casting process can take part in the qualifiers (more on that in a moment). Each Ninja Warrior Polska season includes 6 qualifying episodes, from which the 10 best competitors advance to the semi-finals. The qualifying courses consist of moderately difficult obstacles testing strength, coordination, technique and, above all, mental toughness. Each course ends with the characteristic ramp.

Additionally, after this phase there is a Power Tower duel in which the competitors who placed highest in the qualifiers face each other. This is a very short yet intense course (tower) that the competitors climb. The one who finishes first receives a golden ticket, giving them direct passage to the final (skipping the semi-finals).

The semi-finals themselves are already a “higher level”, where not only the above-mentioned aspects matter, but very often also the speed of completing the whole course. The 3 competitors who finish in the shortest time (or get the furthest) advance to the final.

What does the NWP final look like?

The final is the culmination of a given edition, so it is always the last episode of the show in that season. It consists of 3 stages (called stages).

Stage 1 requires the course to be completed within a strictly defined time. If the competitor does not make it in time or falls into the water earlier, that means elimination from the competition. Unlike the qualifiers or semi-finals, only completing the course gives the chance to advance further.
Stage 2 is divided into two smaller parts. The first has a time limit, which is usually short and very demanding. The second follows directly after the first (the competitor has literally only a moment to rest), but without any additional time limit.
Stage 3 is the already mentioned Mount Midoriyama. Anyone who completes stages 1 and 2 can take on the 21-metre rope, which must be climbed within a specified time (so far, it has been 25 seconds).

Ninja Warrior obstacles – what do participants face on the show?

Each edition differs not only in its level of complexity, but also in the types of obstacles used. Jumps using ledges, bars or other grips, the twist (ninja spiral), walls, the Tarzan swing, pegboard, rings, passing through a chimney, pendulum, spinning bridge, jumps between platforms. These are just a few examples of the challenges awaiting participants. Naturally, there is water underneath each one, and that is where those who fail to complete the challenge end up :).

Essential elements of every edition include the warped wall (ramp), the salmon ladder (referred to as a moving bar) and, of course, Mount Midoriyama (if anyone reaches it).

How do you get onto Ninja Warrior?

Now that we have covered practically everything about the format and rules of this sports show, it is time to answer the question of how you can actually take part in it.

To get a chance to face the obstacles on Ninja Warrior Polska, you first need to fill in a special application form published on Polsat’s websites. If you do that and your application attracts interest, the organisers will contact you to invite you to a casting session, during which your fitness will be tested and a short interview will take place.

If both go well, there is a chance you will receive an invitation to take part directly in the show. Good luck :)!

Competitions similar to Ninja Warrior. What is worth taking part in?

Fortunately, to take on this type of challenge (or a very similar format), you do not have to rush straight into television ;).

The growing popularity of this type of competition has led to the appearance of other brands in Poland that create similar events. At present, the most recognisable are:

Ninja Series and Ninja Run, which combine great fun with elements of competition and a moderate level of difficulty.
Ninja KolekTYw, which ranks among the most difficult competitions of this kind in Poland.

Other ninja competitions (or ones very close to this format) worth checking out include Arrow by Barbarian Race, among others.

The good news is that to take part in them, you do not need to go through any castings. You simply need to register and pay your entry fee.

How do you prepare for Ninja Warrior and other competitions of this type?

Because this type of challenge combines technical elements with pure strength and coordination demands, it is worth focusing on well-rounded training that takes each of these aspects into account.

In ninja competitions, one of the key factors is a strong grip, which can be trained on a pull-up bar or climbing walls.
Technique is also essential (including the ability to perform long jumps using your hands), which you can practise, for example, on OCR-style structures.
Almost every course also features elements that test balance. For training in this area, it is also worth using OCR-type obstacles.

What clothes work well for ninja-style competitions?

In ninja, lightness and freedom of movement matter, so the natural choice should be flexible, close-fitting rashguard tops. For the lower part of your outfit, you can go with fitted leggings (short or long) or choose equally light but looser training shorts. You will find each of these options, in many pattern and colour variants, directly in the SMMASH online store.

If you want your start to be remembered not only for your sporting performance, but also because you stand out with a unique outfit, be sure to check out X-CREATOR. It is an intuitive tool that lets you create a 100% individual design for your sportswear in just a few simple steps.