First Stage (Ninja Israel)

NWI First Stage — Current First Stage logo since Ninja Warrior Israel 3

On all five seasons of Ninja Israel, the First Stage, locally called שלב 1 (literally Level 1), or similar to the most International SASUKE/Ninja Warrior spin-off shows, also known as Stage 1, is always serving as the first of four courses of the Finals in Ninja Israel. As of present, Ninja Israel included five different First Stages, with all of them however sharing one singular goal: to press the button at the top of the final obstacle before the time expires in order to advance to the next stage, the Second Stage.

Format overview and Course Layout[]

Ninja Israel[]

NWI Course Map — Course Map in Ninja Warrior Israel, with all First Stage obstacles were highlight by blue color

In Ninja Warrior Israel, similar to the most international Ninja Warrior formats, all male and female competitors must face 9 obstacles with same 300 seconds (5 minutes) time limit (similar to American Ninja Warrior). Similar to SASUKE and most of the other International SASUKE/Ninja Warrior formats, First Stage is designed to test the competitors' speed and agility, with most obstacles that test upper-body strength, such as Monkey Peg, Spin Cycle and Ring Jump.

Ninja Israel 2[]

NWI2 First Stage — First Stage course map in Ninja Warrior Israel 2

Due to Yuval Shemla's near miss of total victory, on Ninja Warrior Israel 2, the First Stage have several major changes of the course layout compared to the first season of Ninja Israel to make the course harder:

The fourth obstacle was the combined of the upper-body strength obstacle and rock climbing obstacle (in this case Swinging Cliffhanger to Sideway Hang Climbing)
The First Stage also featured the Mega Wall as the sixth obstacle along with regular Warped Wall (unlike most of the other International SASUKE/Ninja Warrior formats, in which the Mega Wall appeared only in the Qualifiers/Heats). The competitors could attempt this Mega Wall to have a chance at winning a ₪10,000 bonus prize, if they should clear it on their first attempt.
Also, unlike most of the other International SASUKE/Ninja Warrior formats, the Salmon Ladder (which is normally used as a Second Stage obstacle) was moved to the First Stage staring from this season. The Salmon Ladder was combined with another upper-body strength obstacle and Rope Ladder as the ninth and final obstacle.

Similar to the previous season, the time limit was still 300 seconds (5 minutes).

Ninja Israel 3[]

NWI3 First Stage — New course map in Ninja Warrior Israel 3, with all First Stage obstacles were highlight by red color

On Ninja Warrior Israel 3, the First Stage have several major changes compared to the previous season of Ninja Israel:

The design of the course would be based on an arrow (due to the First Stage was placed at the Qualifiers/Heats area, except the Wall Flip, which was placed as the final obstacle in Semifinals), as the various obstacles would be arranged to a figure similar to an arrow when it is looked at the top view. This making the road of the First Stage was very different:
- Competitors must face the first three obstacles on the center route of the arrow,
- Then, competitors must face the fourth and fifth obstacle on the left route (Route A in the Qualifiers/Heats) of the arrow,
- Next, competitors must face the Warped Wall or Mega Wall on the top of the route,
- After cleared the Warped Wall/Mega Wall, competitors must slide down the vertical pole, then face the seventh and eighth obstacle on the right route (Route B in the Qualifiers/Heats) of the arrow,
- Finally, competitors must faced the Wall Flip on the right side of the Semifinals route and press the button to finish the stage.
Several major changes of the stage layout in this season:
- The second obstacle was the upper-body strength obstacle instead of the slider obstacle, making for the first time no slider obstacle in the First Stage of Ninja Israel history,
- The fourth obstacle was the jump-strength obstacle (similar to SASUKE and American Ninja Warrior) instead of upper-body strength obstacle,
- The combined of Salmon Ladder and upper-body strength obstacle, this time was modified as the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder and moved to the eighth obstacle, and
- The final obstacle was the Second Stage's Wall Lifting obstacle iteration (in this case Wall Flip) instead of the upper-body strength obstacle combined with the Rope Ladder.
The time limit was increased to 330 seconds (5:30), and
The First Stage (along with other three stages in the Finals) use the golden light starting from this season.

Also, the host podium was moved to the left side of the Warped Wall/Mega Wall to distanced between the hosts and competitors starting from this season just like American Ninja Warrior.

Ninja Israel 4[]

NWI4 First Stage — New First Stage course map in Ninja Warrior Israel 4.

On Ninja Warrior Israel 4, the First Stage have several major changes compared to the previous season to make it more extremely:

The design of the course would be based on a pinball machine, as the various obstacles would be arranged around the edge of a figure similar to a pinball machine when it is looked at the top view. However, the route was very similar to the First Stage route in the first two seasons of Ninja Israel, in which competitors must face the first five obstacles on the left edge, then face the Warped Wall or Mega Wall, and finally they must face the final three obstacles on the right edge.
Several major changes of the stage layout in this season:
- The fourth obstacle was revert back to the upper-body strength obstacle instead of the jump-strength obstacle,
- The seventh obstacle (upper-body strength obstacle) was removed. Instead, the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder was a standalone obstacle instead of being combined with another upper-body strength obstacle.
- The final obstacle was reverted back to the upper-body strength obstacle combined with the Rope Ladder, instead of the Second Stage's Wall Lifting obstacle iteration. However, the Rope Ladder was counted as a part of the final obstacle, rather than being considered an official obstacle in this season.
The time limit was increased to 345 seconds (5:45).

Ninja Israel 5[]

NWI5 First Stage — New First Stage course map in Ninja Warrior Israel 5

After Yuval Shemla and Yogev Malka's Total Vicrtoies in the previous season, the course underwent a modest renovation in Ninja Warrior Israel 5:

All various courses in the Finals would be arranged around the red rhombus route, as the route of the First Stage was almost similar to the previous season, except that:
- The left route had six obstacles.
- The right route only featured the combination of the Double Salmon Ladder and another upper-body strength obstacle.
- The final obstacle was placed next to the Warped Wall/Mega Wall.
Several major changes were made to the stage layout in this season:
- The third obstacle was the Power Tower, instead of a balance obstacle, making the first time in Ninja Israel, that there was no balance obstacle in the First Stage of the Finals.
- Off the Hook, which appeared as the first obstacle in the Third Stage of the previous season, was moved to the obstacle position four in the First Stage.
- The sixth obstacle was a slider obstacle, which was not appear in the two previous seasons of Ninja Israel.
- The Warped Wall/Mega Wall were moved to the obstacle position seven.
- The eighth obstacle was the combination of the Double Salmon Ladder and an upper-body strength obstacle (in the case the Angry Birds).
- And the final obstacle was the pure upper body-strength and endurance obstacle instead of the upper-body strength obstacle combined with the Rope Ladder.

Like the previous season, the time limit was still 345 seconds (5:45).

First Stage obstacles overview (in English language)[]

NWI	First Stage Obstacles													Time Limit
NWI	① Quintuple Steps	② Cannonball Slider	③ Coin Flip	④ Monkey Peg to Cargo Net	⑤ Spin Cycle	⑥ Warped Wall			⑦ Pole Grasper			⑧ Ring Jump	⑨ Rope Ladder (with Laché)	300.0
NWI2	① Archer Steps	② Big Dipper (with Fly Wheel)	③ Broken Bridge	④ Swinging Cliffhanger + Sideway Hang Climbing	⑤ Ring Turn	⑥ Warped Wall	/	⑥ Mega Wall	⑦ Rope Jungle			⑧ Swinging Spikes	⑨ Salmon Ladder + Rope Ladder (with Swing Circle)	300.0
NWI3	① Shrinking Steps	② Wind Chimes	③ Spinning Bridge	④ Jump Hang	⑤ Ring Toss	⑥ Warped Wall	/	⑥ Mega Wall	⑦ Crazy Clocks			⑧ Criss Cross Salmon Ladder (with trapeze)	⑨ Wall Flip (Tower-Variant)	330.0
NWI4	① Snake Run	② Double Twister	③ Broken Bridge	④ Ring Jump	⑤ Spin Hopper	⑥ Warped Wall	/	⑥ Mega Wall	⑦ Criss Cross Salmon Ladder		+	⑧ Dropping Shelves	⑨ The Dungeon (with Rope Ladder)	345.0
NWI5	① Sonic Swing	② Swinging Blades	③ Power Tower	④ Off the Hook	⑤ Peg Cloud + Time Bomb	⑥ Double Down			⑦ Warped Wall	/	⑦ Mega Wall	⑧ Double Salmon Ladder + Angry Birds	⑨ Chimney Clinb	345.0

First Stage obstacles overview (in Hebrew language)[]

NWI	First Stage Obstacles													Time Limit
NWI	① הסטפר	② כדור התותח	③ גשר המטבעות	④ טיפוס יתדות לרשת	⑤ הקרוסלות	⑥ הקיר			⑦ המחטים			⑧ קפיצת הטבעות	⑨ קצה הרשת	300.0
NWI2	① סיבוב החץ	② זינוק בעלייה	③ הגשר השבור	④ מתלה האצבעות המתנדנד אל התקרה התלולה	⑤ שלושת החישוקים	⑥ הקיר	/	⑥ המגה קיר	⑦ ג'ונגל החבלים			⑧ מסילת החודים	⑨ סולם הסלמון אל קצה הרשת	300.0
NWI3	① הסטפר המתכווץ	② פעמוני הרוח	③ גשר הכדוריות האדומות	④ קפצית לרשת	⑤ מתלה הטבעות	⑥ הקיר	/	⑥ המגה קיר	⑦ השעון המשוגע			⑧ סולם הסלמון הכפול	⑨ הבניין	330.0
NWI4	① הסטפר המתעקל	② הטוויסטר הכפול	③ הגשר השבור	④ קפיצת הטבעות	⑤ דרך הקפסולות	⑥ הקיר	/	⑥ המגה קיר	⑦ סולם הסלמון הכפול		+	⑧ המדפים הקורסים	⑨ תפסת מרובה	345.0
NWI5	① הסטפר המשולב	② המטרונום	③ מגדל הכוח	④ קליעת הוו	⑤ ענן היתדות אל פצצות הזמן	⑥ עלה ורד			⑦ הקיר	/	⑦ המגה קיר	⑧ סולם הסלמון אל טביעות האצבע	⑨ פיר המעלית	345.0

Trivia[]

The First Stage in Ninja Warrior Israel 2 and Ninja Warrior Israel 5 were the hardest First Stage in all regular Ninja Israel seasons and any international SASUKE/Ninja Warrior formats, as only two competitors completed the First Stage. Ninja Warrior Israel 4 had the second hardest First Stage course, in which only three competitors completed the First Stage.
- However, unlike SASUKE 19, at least there was one competitor that cleared the Second Stage in each season with two First Stage clears.
- Possibly because of fatigue, on Ninja Warrior Israel 2, 4, and 5, the obstacle following Salmon Ladder was statistically the hardest obstacle in the First Stage (respectively, Swing Circle, Dropping Shelves, and Angry Birds).
As of now, Ninja Warrior Israel 3 has the easiest First Stage course, with 12 competitors clearing said course.
The time limit for this stage never fell below 300 seconds. For reference, the highest time limit for SASUKE's First Stage was 130 seconds (SASUKE 18).
If the show had considered Swinging Cliffhanger, Sideway Hang Climbing or Salmon Ladder, Swing Circle and Rope Ladder as seperate obstacles, the First Stage in Ninja Warrior Israel 2 would have the most obstacles for a First Stage in any SASUKE Ninja Warrior format, at 12 obstacles. As it stands now, the show always has nine obstacles for its First Stage, which is around the same number as the Shin-SASUKE First Stage courses.