15,000-square-foot Ninja Nation gym opening in Austin this summer

Kids can put their ninja skills to the test at a new obstacle course-based gym beginning this weekend.

Ninja Nation will open its first Austin location at 6500 N Lamar Blvd. on July 8. The 15,000-square-foot space draws inspiration from the popular TV show "American Ninja Warrior" with fitness challenges that include climbing, swinging, jumping and more.

One of the Austin-based owners, Atlas Cage, actually competed in "American Ninja Warrior" in 2012. He's also the founder of Sky Titan Media, an independent record and clothing label, and joining him in the Ninja Nation venture is his wife, Tatiana Jitkoff.

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“I’m a big believer in giving people, kids especially, opportunities to reach beyond their comfort zone and discover that they are capable of more than they thought," Jitkoff said in a statement. "Ninja Nation is a place to safely fail up, fall down, learn, get back up, and try again."

In addition to an open gym, Ninja Nation Austin will offer birthday parties, classes, camps and a mobile obstacle course available for festivals and other events.

A grand opening party will take place July 8 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and feature giveaways, course demonstrations, vendors, a magician and more. The opening will serve as Ninja Nation's third in Texas, as the company has a gym in both Murphy and Frisco. A gym will also open soon in Houston.

Editor's note: At the time of publication, Ninja Nation Austin was set to open July 1. It will now open July 8.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 15,000-square-foot Ninja Nation gym opening in Austin in July