San Mateo's Ninja Republic: A lesson in falling

The gym offers over 6,000 square feet of ninja warrior obstacles designed for every age and athletic ability, providing a quality workout disguised as fun play. 

“That’s really what kids are doing here, they’re learning fitness without even knowing they’re doing it,” owner Regan Fletcher said. “They’re just playing and learning how to move their body.” 

Fletcher opened Ninja Republic less than three years ago, and described the endeavor as a small business owner as “part two of my life.” 

When a major heart surgery took him by surprise, Fletcher knew he wanted a change of scenery and pace from his high-stress traveling tech job. After bringing his children to a similarly styled gym on the East Coast, Fletcher knew what he wanted to do next. 

“You see people in here that really enjoy the freedom of expression they get with their body, because there’s no set way to do it,” Fletcher said. “Whether you’re doing it for fun or in a competition, the only rule is to get from Point A to Point B. How you do it is up to you. I think a lot of people connect with that.” 

Ninja warrior gyms have grown in popularity in large part to the sports entertainment TV show “American Ninja Warrior,” first broadcasted in 2009 after success was found in a similar show in Japan. 

Extreme obstacle courses are set for competitors to conquer, and now without the spotlight and TV crews, anyone can take a stab at popular challenges such as the Warped Wall, typically a 14-foot-tall wall contestants run up and try to climb. 

While on weekends Ninja Republic is booked with birthday parties, more intensive classes for various age groups are offered during weekdays. 

Some kids are training for competitions similar to the ones seen on TV and, on Dec. 20, the gym hosted a ninja warrior competition qualifier, pulling together top athletes from around the region to compete. 

For kids who aren’t training for competition, the gym also offers a space for those who may not enjoy more traditional sports. Some are former gymnasts who wanted something less rigid, and others are hyperactive kids who love to throw themselves around. 

Something Fletcher wasn’t expecting when he opened Ninja Republic, but has been pleasantly surprised by, is that amount of joy kids on the spectrum feel in the gym. Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder have said the ninja warrior gym creates a space for kids to individually explore their bodies freely and safely. 

“It builds confidence, that’s one of the biggest things we hear from parents,” Fletcher said. “For kids that are shy, nervous or on the spectrum, they come in here and do things that they never thought they could do and their self confidence skyrockets.” 

As many may be considering joining a new gym or tackling a new workout regime in the New Year, Fletcher said people should consider joining Ninja Republic. Will power to commit to a new routine may run its course if it’s not fun, he said. 

“If you’re not having fun, you’re not going to keep doing it,” Fletcher said. “People have fun here.” 

A former tagline of the gym was removed after a lawyer advised getting rid of it, but the ethos reigns true. “We promise you’ll fall, you promise you’ll get up,” the website once read. 

Though the mantra isn’t published anymore, learning to fall safely — and accepting that you will indeed fall — is something Fletcher and the staff at Ninja Republic take seriously as a lesson for everyone who comes to the gym. 

“One of the greatest rewards in here is seeing a kid who has that trepidation before trying anything and then leaving here with a smile on her face because she was able to not only do what she was afraid of when she came in, but do a bunch of other things too,” Fletcher said.