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

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

Publication date: 09.09.2026

Category: Obstacle course races

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

Failure ends with a fall into the water and elimination from the competition. Finishing the course, on the other hand, can bring fame and motivation to train even harder. What are we talking about? If you are even slightly interested in obstacle sports, you definitely know the Polsat show Ninja Warrior Polska. Since overcoming obstacles is an essential part of ninja competition, and at SMMASH we specialize in designing and manufacturing apparel for this discipline, in this article we will take a closer look at the topic.

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

What is Ninja Warrior?

Ninja Warrior is a TV show in which participants take on specially designed obstacle courses set just above pools of water. Falling from an obstacle means an unavoidable splash and automatic elimination from the competition. The original version of this global format is the show Sasuke, which debuted in Japan back in the 1990s.

The show is produced in countries including 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 semifinals. At first, we can watch all competitors, from whom 10 advance to the semifinals, and 4 of them (including 1 golden ticket winner) move on to the final. Episode 7 is the culmination of the season, the grand final, featuring only the very best.

When can you watch this kind of competition?

Episodes of Ninja Warrior Polska are traditionally broadcast on Polsat every Tuesday at 8:05 PM. Each episode lasts about 2 hours.

Ninja Warrior in Poland - a few interesting facts

The previous editions of this TV show were very well received by Polish audiences, which also helped promote disciplines such as ninja competitions and obstacle course racing (OCR).

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

Those who went the farthest in a given edition (completed the highest number of obstacles) were awarded the Last Man Standing title. They 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 at the foot of the legendary mountain; besides him, they were Michał Grochola, Grzegorz Niecko and Mariusz Bulandra)

Starting from the sixth edition, awards were also introduced for the best women, 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 farthest but do not conquer the aforementioned Mount Midoriyama receive the Last Woman / Man Standing title, special medals, and cash prizes (from several to several thousand zlotys).

If they climb the rope within the required time and conquer Midoriyama, in addition to the legendary Ninja Warrior title, the participant also receives a commemorative shuriken star trophy and a substantial cash prize - currently as much as 200,000 zlotys.

Winner of Ninja Warrior Polska

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

This prestigious title went to Jan Tatarowicz, who first completed all stages. Then, as the only person in Poland, he climbed the 21-meter rope within the 25-second time limit. He hit the buzzer marking the completion of the obstacle literally hundredths of a second before the official time expired (which could only be confirmed by watching the replay).

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

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

Who hosts Ninja Warrior?

The show is hosted by well-known personalities 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 program's regular commentary duo since season 1. Karolina Gilon joined Ninja Warrior Polska from season 2, replacing Aleksandra Szwed.

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

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

So far, the Ninja Warrior course has been tested by people such as 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

No matter which country this kind of TV show takes place in, the rules are practically the same everywhere. A participant has only 1 attempt to complete the course, with no opportunity to test any obstacles beforehand. Each obstacle also has specific completion rules set by the organizers.

Differences can only be seen in:

Obstacle difficulty - the more editions a country has held, the more visible the increase in difficulty.
Format - in selected locations, special editions are organized (e.g. celebrity-only editions, team competitions, or even obstacle races held on two courses at the same time).

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

How Ninja Warrior works in Poland

Each edition of the show is divided into 3 stages: qualifiers, semifinals, and the grand final.

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

Additionally, after this phase there is a duel on the Power Tower, where competitors who placed highest in the qualifiers face off. It is a very short yet intense course (tower) that the competitors climb. The one who finishes first receives a golden ticket, which gives them direct access to the final (skipping the semifinals).

The semifinals are a much higher level, where not only the above-mentioned aspects matter, but very often also the speed of completing the entire course. The 3 competitors who finish in the shortest time (or go the farthest) 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 season. It consists of 3 stages.

Stage 1 requires competitors to complete the course within a strictly defined time. If a participant does not make it in time or falls into the water earlier, they are eliminated. Unlike the qualifiers or semifinals, only finishing the course gives a chance to advance further.
Stage 2 is divided into two smaller parts. The first has a time limit that is usually short and very demanding. The second follows immediately after the first (the competitor has literally only a moment to rest), but without any additional time limit.
Stage 3 is the already discussed Mount Midoriyama. Anyone who completes stages 1 and 2 can face the 21-meter 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 complexity, but also in the types of obstacles used. Shelf jumps, bars or other grips, the twister (ninja spiral), walls, Tarzan swing, pegboard, rings, chimney crossing, pendulum, spinning bridge, jumps between platforms - these are just a few examples of the challenges awaiting participants. And of course, below each one there is water, into which anyone who fails the obstacle will fall :).

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

How do you get into 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 take on the obstacles in Ninja Warrior Polska, you first need to fill out a special application form published on Polsat's websites. If you do that and your application catches the organizers' interest, they will contact you to invite you to a casting, during which your fitness will be tested and you will have a short interview.

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

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

Fortunately, to compete in this kind of event (or a very similar format), you do not have to rush straight to television ;).

The growing popularity of this type of challenge has led to the appearance of other brands in Poland that organize similar events. Currently, the most recognizable are:

Ninja Series and Ninja Run, which combine great fun with elements of competition and a moderate difficulty level.
Ninja KolekTYw, which is considered one of the most difficult competitions of this type in Poland.

Other ninja competitions (or events very close to this format) worth looking into include Arrow by Barbarian Race.

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

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

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

In ninja competitions, a strong grip matters, and you can train it on pull-up bars or climbing walls.
Technique is also essential (including the ability to make long dynamic moves using your hands), which you can practice, for example, on typical OCR structures.
Almost every course also includes elements that test balance. It is also worth using OCR-type obstacles to train this area.

What clothes work best for ninja-type competitions?

In ninja, lightness and freedom of movement matter, so a natural choice should be flexible, close-fitting rashguards. You can complete the lower part of your outfit with fitted leggings (short or long) or choose equally lightweight but looser training shorts. You can find all of these options, in many pattern and color variants, directly in the SMMASH online store.

If you want your start to be remembered not only for your athletic performance, but also because you want to 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.