Goren Hammer (5連ハンマー), called Hammer Dodge in English broadcasts, was a Second Stage obstacle that appeared in the first nine SASUKE tournaments.
Competitors must cross a balance beam while dodging five large swinging hammers. It was used heavily in Kinniku Banzuke in various events, most notably in several incarnations of Bamboo Derby and Like a Pierrot.
In the first tournament, it eliminated two future SASUKE All-Stars: Yamamoto Shingo and Yamada Katsumi. However, after SASUKE 4, fewer competitors cleared First Stage and as the result, all of the remaining competitors were able to clear the obstacle. It was replaced with the more dangerous Balance Tank in SASUKE 10.
As a side note, the obstacle was filled with mats below during its debut. Subsequently, when the course was moved outdoors, it was filled with water until its final appearance. However, it was still considered to be pretty shallow and a bit muddy, at least before SASUKE 5.
KUNOICHI Appearance[]
Goren Hammer (5連ハンマー) later appeared on BLUE Stage (Second Stage) of KUNOICHI 2017 Summer, with the hammers now being painted in blue instead of silver to match the name of the stage. Just like SASUKE 1, the obstacle was filled with mats below due to KUNOICHI now being filming indoors since KUNOICHI 2017 Spring. It hasn't eliminated any competitor so far.
In KUNOICHI 2006 New Year, a variation of this obstacle, named Furiko Michi, appeared as the fourth obstacle in Second Stage, but like Goren Hammer, no one failed on this obstacle.
Other Appearances[]
SASUKE Vietnam[]
On SASUKE Vietnam 1, the Goren Hammer, called locally Tránh Búa Qua Cầu (literally Avoid Hammers Crossing the Bridge), appeared as the fourth obstacle in Stage 2. Despite of the introduction of the 100-second time limit, the obstacle was very easy, as only Võ Phạm Hoàng Ân failed on it.
Then, on SASUKE Vietnam 2, the Goren Hammer appeared as the third obstacle in Stage 1A. An issue appeared with a lot of competitors, in which all five hammers were not swinging perfectly, as a few of them would swing out of rhythm with the other hammers, so competitors can be stopped at various points between any hammers (in a similar form to the Furiko Michi). However, this also resulted some competitors disqualified for having touched or grabbed the hammers due to the gap between the hammers being smaller than Furiko Michi. This made the obstacle more brutal, wiping out numbers of competitors.
On SASUKE Vietnam 3, the obstacle now locally called Cầu Búa (literally Hammer Bridge). With the introduction of the 100-second time limit in Stage 1A, this obstacle became more brutal once again, wiping out more competitors than the previous season. Most shockingly, it eliminated SASUKE Vietnam 2's champion Lê Văn Thực when he accidentally grabbed the hammer with his hands, resulting a disqualification.
Despite of its high knock-out rate in the previous two seasons of SASUKE Vietnam, as a part of the Stage One's renewal in the new era since SASUKE Vietnam 4, the obstacle was replaced by an easier obstacle, the Spinning Log.
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Mongolia[]
The Goren Hammer appeared as the third obstacle in Stage One on SASUKE Ninja Warrior Mongolia. Compared to its appearance in SASUKE, the hammers would swing in an even pattern, two on one side and three on the other heading towards the center, as opposed to the continuous pattern with the Goren Hammer, making the obstacle similar to the Furiko Michi.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found.
SASUKE[]
SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | 15 | 53.33% |
2 | 14 | 17 | 82.35% |
3 | 8 | 9 | 88.89% |
4 | 13 | 16 | 81.25% |
5 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
6 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
7 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
8 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
9 | 6 | 6 | 100% |
Total | 65 | 79 | 82.28% |
KUNOICHI[]
KUNOICHI | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
10 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
11 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
Total | 13 | 13 | 100% |
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