Abingdon Man, Brother Prep for American Ninja Warrior Tryouts

Abingdon will be well-represented come Friday when hundreds of would-be American ninjas descend on the Inner Harbor for a chance to become warriors.

The television series American Ninja Warrior will be filming tryouts beginning at 8 p.m. at Baltimore's Rash Field park.

Tony Torres of Abingdon and his brother Edwin Torres, owners of Alternate Routes gym in White Marsh, believe they are ready.

"It's redemption," Edwin, a 27-year-old White Marsh resident, said.

The brothers Torres have twice competed in the preliminary trials for American Ninja Warrior—a competition that pits ridiculously fit men and women against a series of man-made obstacles that test physical strength, muscular endurance, balance and unyielding focus. Competitors are timed as they traverse the obstacle course, which is suspended over a pool of water.

“That was a huge eye-opener," Edwin said. "We failed out right away. We thought, we need to step our game up. We need to work at this hard and we intended to.

“We’ve been motivating each other through it,” he continued.

Tony made it further when the two tried out in at a regional qualifier in Miami in 2012. It was a long jump from a trampoline to cargo net that did him in.

“I was coming off of a [broken arm] recovery and I didn’t have any grip strength in my left arm. When I hit that net and my body caught up, I just peeled off,” Tony, a 30-year-old Abingdon resident, said. And he has the scars on his left arm to prove it. 

Edwin did not fair so well.

“If I can pass the steps, I’d like to say I’m confident in knowing that I can make it to the last obstacle—the Warped Wall. The steps, they are my nemesis,” Edwin said. 

The younger brother had the misfortune of following a man who too fell from the spaced out "Quad Steps" and splashed the second landing point.

Tony and Edwin began training for the American Ninja Warriror challenge in February 2010, turning to parkour as their primary training method.

The pair opened Alternate Routes—the only parkour-specific gym in Maryland—on Sept. 1, 2012. Parkour is an up-and-coming sport created in France and made popular in YouTube videos.

This is parkour. This is free running. This is tricking. And this is NOT parkour [but it's very funny].

Parkour athletes have to get from point A to point B across most commonly a city landscape laden with physical obstacles like high walls and gaps. The idea is to get between points in the fastest, at times, most creative way possible. 

“It’s a more natural way of movement," Tony said. "It’s learning to throw and move your body around the way it was meant to be. You get a lot of guys who think weight lifting is health, that can’t scratch their own back.”

Tony followed his passion for parkour and opened the gym after he was let go from his father's construction company, which, like many small businesses, took a hit from a downturn in the economy.

“It became a passion. I realized, I couldn’t go back to the corporate world,” Tony said. “The community is very accepting, non-competitive, like when somebody gets something down—big or small—everybody cheers."

"We want to build the community here,” he continued.

But is there enough of a community to support a growing sport?

“It’s a niche thing, but it’s definitely growing," Tony said. "The best comparison I can make is back in the early 80s when rock climbing gyms started opening I think people called them nuts. But now look. Rock climbing gyms are everywhere and it’s a mainstream thing.”

Kingsville resident Stuart Sweitzer has been bringing her kids—at least the ones who can't drive themselves of her five boys—to the gym since it opened. 

"As time has gone on, the gym has become like a second home to my guys and our family," she said. "The community that has developed there is really awesome—encouraging, laid back and they really care about helping each other."

On Wednesday, Sweitzer's sons practiced the art of "tricking," which is an outlet of parkour. "They create flips and moves, things like you'd never see even in gymastics," Tony said. "It's like one big family here."

In preparation for Friday's tryouts, Tony and Edwin reconstructed a scale model of the obstacle course used by American Ninja Warrior judges. (See videos)

"When we started this, we decided—we’re going to do it right. We were going to do the whole holistic thing,” Tony said.

The brothers actually closed the gym this week to the public so a core group of parkour faithfuls could train.

"It's like American Ninja Warrior week," Edwin said. The brothers know that excelling in the obstacle course will do wonders for their gym, which is located at 10939 Philadelphia Rd, in White Marsh.

The Torres brothers, along with at least a dozen other Alternate Routes members will compete on Friday in Rash Field. The taping is currently full, although anyone interested in going can join the wait list here. The brothers believe they will go on sometime after 11 p.m., although “it goes until the sun comes up,” Edwin said. 

The Baltimore tryout is one of four hosted by American Ninja Warrior judges.

For more information about Alternate Routes gym visit the Torres brothers Facebook page and website: alternateroutesgym.com

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