Rolling Maruta (ローリング丸太), called the Rolling Log in English broadcasts, was an obstacle which debuted in SASUKE 3 as the second obstacle of the First Stage. Competitors must straddle and cling to a log 40 cm (15.75 in) in diameter, before kicking the ground to begin its roll down a 15° decline track. The log had only two wooden bars to hold on to while the obstacle was spinning, which the log was notorious for either halting midway or coming off the track. It is worth pointing out that there was no support structure placed behind the red curved track during the obstacle's debut tournament, which caused it to bounce rather violently. Support scaffolding was added in starting from the following tournament to counteract this.
Akiyama Kazuhiko attempting Rolling Maruta
in SASUKE 10
In its debut, it became one of the hardest obstacles in the stage, eliminating 41 competitors in that tournament. This obstacle and Rope Climb helped decrease the amount of First Stage clears from 34 clears in the previous tournament to 13 clears. It eliminated Yamamoto Shingo in SASUKE 6 and Nakata Daisuke in SASUKE 12, with both of them reaching the Third Stage in their previous tournament.
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Yamada Katsumi was millimetres away from touching water on his Rolling Maruta's attempt in SASUKE 5
This obstacle caused arguably the best save in the history of SASUKE, as Yamada Katsumi lost control to the log in SASUKE 5 but didn't touch the water despite his shoe being millimeters away from it.
The original version lasted from SASUKE 3 to SASUKE 12. However, after Urushihara Yuuji's Kanzenseiha in SASUKE 24, as a part of the Kanzen Renewal, it was brought out of retirement for SASUKE 25. It however lasted for one tournament only, being indirectly replaced by Rolling Escargot in the following tournament.
Modified Prototype[]
Prototype of Rolling Maruta's new version in Navi of SASUKE 12
Prior to the Sandan Rolling Maruta being introduced in SASUKE 13, the producers were considering a new version of Rolling Maruta, which appeared in the Navi of SASUKE 12.
Even though it was intentionally pixelated when shown, this version redesigned the track so that after the log rolled downwards at a greater angle and shorter distance than previous tournaments, the track would briefly flatten out before competitors had to use their momentum to roll upwards on a much longer inclined extension, having the competitors reach a platform which is placed at around the same height as the starting platform.
This was probably deemed dangerous enough or too physically impossible to implement on any working method, resulted in this version never being used in the actual tournament, with the producers keeping the original version of the obstacle for SASUKE 12.
Second Version[]
Sandan Rolling Maruta (三段ローリング丸太), still called the Rolling Log in English broadcasts, is the second version of Rolling Maruta, was introduced in SASUKE 13 as a part of the First Stage's redesign. Unlike Rolling Maruta which used a straight track, there were two drops added to the track to add difficulty, making it harder for the competitors to recover if the log halted midway. In order to prevent the log being halted midway or coming off the track, wires are installed above the track near the ending caps of the log, though it was almost useless as the log still malfunctioned, which happened to few competitors such as Ishimaru Kenjirō and Sudō Genki in its debut tournament. To alleviate the derailment issue, the ending caps of the log were widened so as to decrease the risk of derailment starting from SASUKE 14, which in addition eliminated the use of the wires. The same mechanism would be used when the original version returned in SASUKE 25.
Shiratori Bunpei attempting Sandan Rolling Maruta in SASUKE 13
This version was as deadly as the original one, though due to the obstacle's age and the experience gained by the competitors on the original version, which had been in place for ten tournaments, the clear rate was slightly better. However, due to Nagano Makoto's Kanzenseiha in SASUKE 17, it was replaced by Log Grip as part of the course's renewal.
Rolling Log[]
Rolling Log (ローリングログ) is the new version of Rolling Maruta, officially debuting as the first obstacle in Second Stage of SASUKE 38, replacing Ring Slider which had been used since SASUKE 33. With this appearance, the concept of the obstacle became one of three obstacles in SASUKE's history to be used on different stages, beside Tackle Machine/Tackle and Salmon Ladder/Salmon Ladder Jūgo Dan. Since its official debut, the obstacle has taken out at least one competitor every tournament.
This obstacle was designed and functioned similarly to Rolling Log that was used since American Ninja Warrior 7, with a long and thinner log plus thicker railings for the log to roll down, except that there were ledges stretched throughout the log as handholds. The thinner log and redesigned track mean that, compared to the previous two iterations, the log makes a greater number of revolutions (up to nine with some competitors), which increases disorientation that may affect competitors later on in the course and consumes longer time. The log is also made of a softer material, which can make gripping onto the ledges trickier as well.
A staff member trying to wipe the moisture off the Rolling Log's left track, SASUKE 37
The obstacle unofficially debuted in SASUKE 37, but the poor weather conditions during filming made it very difficult to attempt, as the rain and mist making the thicker track too slick to properly function. Even after numerous attempts by the producers to fix it, the log still became stuck too many times during test runs, forcing the producers to skip this obstacle, meaning that the competitors would start at Salmon Ladder Nobori instead, making it the first and so far, only obstacle that was skipped in SASUKE's history.
Urushihara Yuuji attempting Rolling Log in SASUKE 38
In its official debut, the weather was better, and with the addition of black padding on the ends of the log to increase traction, the obstacle got to show its true lethal potential. While it only took out Yamamoto Keitaro, it affected all of the competitors, making them dizzy and forcing them to regain focus, wasting valuable time. The log sometimes stopped dead on its track, causing competitors to lose time and energy to force it to roll again. Ultimately, it indirectly caused two competitors to fail on Salmon Ladder Nobori and caused a few more to time out later on the stage, most notably Urushihara Yuuji, who missed out on being the sole-oldest competitor to attempt Third Stage by 0.5 seconds.
Comparision of Rolling Log used in SASUKE 38 and from SASUKE 39 onwards
With the Second Stage course being relatively unchanged, the Rolling Log would continue its menace in SASUKE 39. Even though it only took out Ajima Hideki, it affected every competitor on the course but in a much smaller scale compared to the previous tournament as more competitors would recover to the dizziness in a faster pace due to the fact the track only used around two-thirds of its original length, resulting in fewer revolutions (for instance, up to seven in Hioki Masashi's case), thus cleared the Second Stage with ample time remaining.
In SASUKE 40, it was unchanged from before and it only took out one competitor once again, Fujita Yoshikazu but due to the rotation and a slightly stricter time limit, the obstacle became the indirect reason for timeouts that occured near the end of the course. In SASUKE 41, this time it took out Nagano Kaiou and Goto Yusuke as its victims but got Matachi Ryo dizzy enough once again to struggle on the Salmon Ladder Nobori.
A notable failure occurred in SASUKE 42 when Olivia Vivian tried to dismount from the log, resulting in her hair skimming the water. Along with this, a total of six competitors failed the obstacle, including Nagano Kaiou (for the second time), Matachi Ryo, and most shockingly Satō Jun (breaking his nine consecutive Second Stage clear streak). All of these fails were attributed to the wet weather conditions during the tournament, which caused the log to be stuck akin to SASUKE 37.
KUNOICHI Appearance[]
As part of the reboot, the Rolling Log (ローリングログ) was introduced in KUNOICHI 12's Second Stage as the first obstacle, replacing the Slide Walk after three previous tournaments. Just like SASUKE 39, it affected every competitor on the course but in a much smaller scale as all six competitors would recover to the dizziness in a faster pace, thus cleared the Second Stage with ample time remaining.
Other Appearances[]
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 4's Rolling Log in Stage One
American Ninja Warrior 5's Rolling Log in Denver
American Ninja Warrior 6's Rolling Log in St. Louis
Rolling Maruta (here called Rolling Log) appeared as the second obstacle in:
- American Ninja Warrior 4 in Stage One,
- American Ninja Warrior 5 in Denver,
- American Ninja Warrior 6 in St. Louis,
- American Ninja Warrior 7 in Orlando,
- American Ninja Warrior 8 in Indianapolis, and
- American Ninja Warrior 9 in Cleveland.
Due to its poor knockout rate in American Ninja Warrior 4, only eliminating four competitors, it was replaced by the Giant Cycle on the next season.
The track was 18 feet (5.49 meters) long in American Ninja Warrior 5 and 24 feet (7.32 meters) in American Ninja Warrior 6. The end caps of the log itself were made significantly larger.
It was a tough obstacle in American Ninja Warrior 6, as it took out competitors like Bill Westrick and Luis Moco. It was also responsible for disqualifying Ethan Swanson on his first season competing, as his toes narrowly skimmed the water at the end.
American Ninja Warrior 7's Rolling Log in Orlando
However, it was still far more difficult starting in American Ninja Warrior 7. While the track was shortened to 20 feet (6.096 meters), the log was made thinner, spinning around seven to ten times before hitting the landing platform, rather than just three to four times in American Ninja Warrior 6. Most competitors had thus lost focus after the frantic rolling of the log, as many had to refocus before the next obstacle. In American Ninja Warrior 7, it was revealed that the Rolling Log had taken out 21 competitors during Orlando qualifiers, including Grace Sims, Tyler Yamauchi, Brent Ruffin and Danny Adair. It later took out Kyle Johnson and Adam Williams in the city finals.
Jonathan Brown skipping the Rolling Log by jumping directly to the landing platform
Bart Copeland balancing on the top of the log
During American Ninja Warrior 7's Orlando qualifiers, two competitors used a very unusual way to complete the obstacle:
- Jonathan Brown skipped the obstacle entirely, by jumping from the starting platform, directly to the landing platform, and
- Bart Copeland attempted the obstacle by walking on the top of the log, in a similar fashion with the Balance Tank or Enchū Nori.
Both of them were allowed to continue their run, before eventually failing on the next obstacle, the Paddle Boards.
This modification would later be the basis for the SASUKE Second Stage version (see above) as well as the standard model for the Rolling Log in other international Ninja Warrior formats (except for SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia).
American Ninja Warrior 8's Rolling Log in Indianapolis
American Ninja Warrior 9's Rolling Log in Cleveland
In American Ninja Warrior 8, the track was lengthened to 28 feet (8.53 meters) and the log was modified with block-shaped holes to hold on instead of ledges. Due to the obstacle's design, it was nearly impossible for the log to come off the track. In qualifying, it eliminated a decent number of competitors, such as Larissa Cottle. During its appearance in American Ninja Warrior 8's Indianapolis finals, it shockingly eliminated Lorin Ball, Dan Yager, Drew Knapp, and Kevin Hogan. Later, the same version would be used in American Ninja Warrior 9. The track now at 23 feet (7.01 meters). Only ten competitors were eliminated by the obstacle during Cleveland qualifiers on American Ninja Warrior 9, including McKinley Pierce. It later wiped out Tori Clement, Mike Shuck, and Sean Noel during Cleveland finals.
Ninja Warrior UK[]
Ninja Warrior UK 3's Rolling Log
Rolling Log appeared as the second obstacle during the finals' Stage One in Ninja Warrior UK 3, and then as the seventh obstacle during the finals' Stage One in Ninja Warrior UK 4 and Ninja Warrior UK 5, which was very similar to Rolling Log from American Ninja Warrior 8.
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia[]
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia's Rolling Log in Semifinal Stage 2
In SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia, Rolling Log appeared as the second obstacle during Semifinal Stage 2, which was very similar to the one used from SASUKE 3 to SASUKE 12, albeit with slightly larger end caps.
Edmund Jed Solaiman disqualified on the Rolling Log due to his shoe falling off the course
The obstacle eliminated Edmund Jed Solaiman due to his shoe falling off after clearing the obstacle, which resulted in a disqualification.
Australian Ninja Warrior[]
Australian Ninja Warrior 3's Rolling Log
In Australian Ninja Warrior 3, Rolling Log appeared as the second obstacle during the semifinals, which was very similar to Rolling Log from American Ninja Warrior 8. The track used was 6m long.
Australian Ninja Warrior 4's Rolling Log
Then, in Australian Ninja Warrior 4, Rolling Log returned once again as the second obstacle during the semifinals and in Stage One. The track was increased to 8m.
Ninja Warrior France[]
Ninja Warrior France 2's Rolling Log
Le Rouleau Compresseur (literally The Steamroller), Ninja Warrior France's official name for the Rolling Log, would appear as the second obstacle of Heat 1 and 4 of Ninja Warrior France 2.
Ninja Warrior France 3's Rolling Log
In Ninja Warrior France 3, it returned as the second obstacle of Heat 1, with the same holes as before. The track length was revealed to be 7m.
Ninja Warrior France 4's Rolling Log
In Ninja Warrior France 4, Rolling Log was the third obstacle of Path A of Heats 1 and 3. The track was extended slightly to 8m.
Ninja Warrior France 5's Rolling Log
Ninja Warrior France 6's Rolling Log
It returned as the second obstacle of Qualification 1 of Ninja Warrior France 5 and as the second obstacle of Qualification 2 of Ninja Warrior France 6. It is known that the length of the track is 6.5 meters long and is rested on a 15° decline.
Ninja Warrior France 8's Rolling Log
In Ninja Warrior France 8, Rolling Log appeared as the third obstacle of Crossroads Path A of Qualifications 4. It had a similar appearance to the versions from previous seasons.
Ninja Warrior Germany[]
Ninja Warrior Germany 2's Rolling Log
The Rolling Log first appeared as the second obstacle of Preliminary Round 2 and 5 of Ninja Warrior Germany 2. This log featured three rectangular holes.
Ninja Warrior Germany 5's Rolling Log
It then reappeared as the third obstacle of Stage 1 in Ninja Warrior Germany 5, and then as the third obstacle of Stage 1 in Ninja Warrior Germany 6.
Ninja Warrior Germany 8's Rolling Log
On Ninja Warrior Germany 8, Rolling Log appeared as the third obstacle of Stage Two.
Ninja Israel[]
Ninja Israel's Rolling Log
In Ninja Warrior Israel, the Rolling Log, locally called המערוך (literally Rolling Pin) appeared as the sixth obstacle of Semifinals, then reappeared as the third obstacle of the Finals' Stage Two. It was very similar to Rolling Log from American Ninja Warrior 8.
Ninja Israel 3's Rolling Log
Later, on Ninja Warrior Israel 3, the Rolling Log appeared as the second obstacle in Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 3, with no modifications made.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the TBS broadcast, external information found, and the official SASUKE book.
SASUKE[]
| Rolling Maruta | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
| 3 | 29 | 70 | 41.43% |
| 4 | 65 | 92 | 70.65% |
| 5 | 44 | 86 | 51.16% |
| 6 | 71 | 88 | 80.68% |
| 7 | 58 | 86 | 67.44% |
| 8 | 39 | 50 | 78% |
| 9 | 56 | 73 | 76.71% |
| 10 | 59 | 79 | 74.68% |
| 11 | 45 | 88 | 51.14% |
| 12 | 47 | 79 | 59.49% |
| 25 | 46 | 53 | 86.79% |
| Total | 589 | 844 | 69.79% |
- It was noted that 41 competitors failed there in SASUKE 3 and over 40 competitors failed there in SASUKE 11. Also, it was noted that 51 competitors failed Jump Hang in SASUKE 6, therefore, those competitors must have got past Rolling Maruta.
- In a special before SASUKE 15, the completion percentage was said to be (from SASUKE 5 to SASUKE 14, including Sandan Rolling Maruta's statistic found below) 645 clears out of 965 attempts for a percentage of 66.84%. It was unknown how competitors did in each specific tournament. Therefore, these numbers were not included in the tables above or below.
| Sandan Rolling Maruta | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
| 13 | 47 | 73 | 64.38% |
| 14 | 63 | 86 | 73.26% |
| 15 | 42 | 65 | 64.62% |
| 16 | 59 | 82 | 71.95% |
| 17 | 66 | 82 | 80.49% |
| Total | 277 | 388 | 71.39% |
| Rolling Log | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
| 38 | 13 | 14 | 92.86% |
| 39 | 13 | 14 | 92.86% |
| 40 | 23 | 24 | 95.83% |
| 41 | 18 | 20 | 90% |
| 42 | 22 | 28 | 78.57% |
| Total | 89 | 100 | 89% |
KUNOICHI[]
| Rolling Log | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| KUNOICHI | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
| 12 | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| Total | 6 | 6 | 100% |
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