Cross Bridge (クロスブリッジ), called Bridge of Blades in English broadcasts, was a First Stage obstacle first introduced in SASUKE 13. It was placed immediately after Sandan Rolling Maruta to add difficulty, as some competitors will feel a bit dizzy while attempting it.
Competitors must run across four blades with a centre axis to reach the landing platform, in a similar fashion to Godantobi. The blades would rotate when the competitors put their weight on them.
Kobayashi Masaaki attempting Cross Bridge in SASUKE 13
Although few competitors failed on the obstacle, it eliminated some top competitors such as Nakayama Kinnikun in SASUKE 13 and Yamada Katsumi in SASUKE 15. In Yamada's case, he lost his balance after completing the obstacle and subsequently fell off the side, resulting in a course out. It was eventually removed after Nagano Makoto's Kanzenseiha in SASUKE 17.
A modified version of the obstacle, X-Bridge, also called Bridge of Blades on international rebroadcasts, would later appear in SASUKE 24 as the second obstacle in First Stage, with six small blades instead of four large blades.
Other Appearances[]
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 2's Bridge of Blades
American Ninja Warrior 3's Bridge of Blades
American Ninja Warrior 4's Bridge of Blades in Midwest and Midsouth regions
American Ninja Warrior 6's Bridge of Blades in St. Louis
Cross Bridge, called Bridge of Blades, appeared as the third obstacle on American Ninja Warrior 2 in qualifying and semifinal. Although there was no center axis, the padding caused it to be in a plus-shape, providing an interesting threat for the competitors. It was one of the most deadly obstacles during qualifying, eliminating many top competitors such as Brett Sims, Paul Darnell, and Rick Huelga. It was also extremely dangerous, as one competitor, Robert Mullinix, suffered a wound to the head that caused him to bleed. During the semi-finals, it eliminated a few competitors, such as Andrew Karsen, Ibrahim Peek and Andrew Taber.
The obstacle was modified on American Ninja Warrior 3 and also returned in Midwest and Midsouth regions on American Ninja Warrior 4, and is now 18-foot across.
Bridge of Blades returned once again on American Ninja Warrior 6, where it was used in St. Louis. IT was lengthened slightly to 19 feet. However, competitors were not allowed to grab the blades with their hands. If they did so, they would be disqualified. This eliminated a fair number of competitors, such as Pavel Fesyuk, and most shockingly, Mike Bernardo.
Ninja Warrior Sweden[]
Ninja Warrior Sweden's Bridge of Blades
On Ninja Warrior Sweden, the Bridge of Blades appeared as the third obstacle in Qualifiers, Semifinals and Finals' Stage One, which was very similar to one used in American Ninja Warrior 3.
SASUKE Vietnam[]
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SASUKE Vietnam 2's Cross Bridge
Cross Bridge, called locally Cầu Chữ X (literally X Bridge), appeared as the third obstacle in Stage 1A on SASUKE Vietnam, then moved as the second obstacle in Stage 2 on SASUKE Vietnam 2 and SASUKE Vietnam 3, which was very similar to one used in American Ninja Warrior 3.
Due to the bridge not having a protruding centre axis, most competitors cleared this obstacle by crossing the centre way between four blades rather than stepping on the four blades themselves. This resulted in a high clear rate, as in SASUKE Vietnam 1, it had a 95.33% completion rate in Stage 1A.
On SASUKE Vietnam 4, the obstacle was replaced by the Rope Jungle as a part of Second Stage redesign for a new era.
Australian Ninja Warrior[]
Australian Ninja Warrior's Bridge of Blades
On Australian Ninja Warrior, Bridge of Blades appeared as the third obstacle in every qualifying heat. It was 6m long. However, competitors were not allowed to grab the blades with their hands, similar to American Ninja Warrior 6's version. If they did so, they would be disqualified.
Australian Ninja Warrior 2's Bridge of Blades
Then, the obstacle returned on Australian Ninja Warrior 2, once again as the third obstacle in every qualifying heat. This time, to make the obstacle harder than the one used on the previous season, the bridge was placed in almost a plus-shaped, making it similar to the version used on American Ninja Warrior 2. As the result, the obstacle was proven to be more difficult, as several competitors either fell at the fourth blade or got disqualified for grabbing the obstacle with their hands.
Australian Ninja Warrior 4's Bridge of Blades
On Australian Ninja Warrior 3, Tuning Forks replaced Bridge of Blades as the third obstacle in every qualifying heat. However, on the next season, the obstacle returned as the third obstacle in every qualifying heat.
Ninja Warrior France[]
Ninja Warrior France's Bridge of Blades
On Ninja Warrior France, the Bridge of Blades, locally called Les Hélices (literally Propellers) appeared as the third obstacle in Heat 1 and Finals' Stage One, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 2, since the bridge was placed in almost a plus-shap.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found.
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 38 | 47 | 80.85% |
| 14 | 52 | 63 | 82.54% |
| 15 | 27 | 42 | 64.29% |
| 16 | 53 | 59 | 89.83% |
| 17 | 59 | 66 | 88.52% |
| Total | 229 | 277 | 82.67% |
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