Smithtown Ninja Academy Reopens Its Doors

NESCONSET, N.Y. - People are familiar with NBC's reality show American Ninja Warrior.  Now people can train for that competition in person again at the Smithtown Ninja Academy.

Kathryn Gawrych, president and owner of the academy, operates the business in both Nesconset and Freeport.  The academy is designed to help kids and adults into learning how to analyze, approach and conquer ninja warrior obstacles.  

"It is essentially a training facility for children and adults," Gawrych said.  "They do not need to have any background so we start off with completely no experience.  We go all the way to ninjas who are preparing for the show American Ninja Warrior." 

Kathryn Gawrych became the first "franchisee" to open a ninja academy in Freeport.  The original academy had three facilities in Connecticut.  Her academy opened in Jan. 6, 2020 after joining the original team that started this franchise in 2015.  

"It was a gymnastics owner and he has been in the gymnastics industry for 35+ years," Gawrych said.  "This is really gymnastics oriented, but it's more of you know your male way of getting into this type of stuff.  So he decided to start that up in 2015 in just the garage of one his gymnastics facilities and it took off, they had to double in size within the first two years and then he decided to create a franchise."  

Her facility in Freeport was open for nine weeks before the pandemic hit and she had to shut down for four months.  They opened back up in July of 2020 for the first time while following all the CDC guidelines including having a 33 percent capacity.  This past fall the academy has gone back to having a full capacity.  "It's been phenomenal," Gawrych said.  

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The ninja academy offers many obstacles and classes for people.  For example, with kids they start things off with basics like parkour.  During the first week in their programs they teach kids how to jump and land.  

As the students move forward in the academy's classes, they work on obstacles that they have to American Ninja Warrior.  Some of which include the Warped Wall, the Jumping Spider, the Ring Swing and Cliff Hangers.  

"You name it, we have it," Gawrych said.  "There's over 150 different variations of obstacles that we can do within our facility.  So each week you come in it's like you're coming into a new facility."

The goal of the Smithtown Ninja Academy is to not only have fun, but push them into new limits (and also to train for American Ninja Warrior).  They learn that despite some failures in their future, they learn to get back up turn their failures into success.  Their motto is "Together, we will overcome all obstacles."  

"We do train people for the show and that's very exciting for the coaches to work with people on that level, but most of the staff are very passionate about working with children and setting an example for them and trying to create a successful future for them," Gawrych said.  "That's really what this is about.  Teaching them that failure is okay.  You will fail, but it's a matter of what you're going to do to get past that failure and turn it into a success."

The Smithtown Ninja Academy is located at 62 Lake Avenue in Nesconset, NY.  For those who want exceed new limits and overcome some obstacles (or train for American Ninja Warrior), this place opens its doors to the public officially on Friday Feb. 25.  

For more details, follow their website.