An interactive 'fair' experience
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on October 3, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
London Daughtry, 11, checks the bed of nails to make sure that they are all real and in place before a stunt in the Team Rock Ninja Experience show at the Wayne County Regional Agricultural Fair Friday night.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The youngest member of Team Rock Ninja Experience tells the crowd that he won't do his trick unless they make more noise.
The typical idea of a ninja might be a black-clad warrior sticking to the shadows, staying out of sight.
For the members the Team Rock Ninja Experience, being seen is the whole point. The team performed its blend of acrobatics and martial arts at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair Thursday, breaking boards and flipping through the air to the delight of the crowd.
Originally founded 13 years ago by owner Kyle Palmer, the group's mission is built around sharing a Christian message through martial arts and acrobatics, said team member Ty Butler.
"Our usual show is a Christian show, where we break down each stunt. Our leader Kyle does a trick called brick not board, where he'll explain that the first brick is stuff in life like money, and the second brick is cars, things in life that you want but don't need. And the third brick is God," Butler said. "He'll hit the bricks, and only the third one will break, and he'll say to focus on God, because this is what happens when you put other things before God."
Butler joined the group this summer after a previous member had to leave. While he started out doing stunts, he dislocated his knee early in the season, and has since been acting as the narrator and MC for the show. He opened the show by greeting the audience and then breaking a series of flaming boards set under a heavy piece of metal, which fell through the space his hand had just occupied.
The show ramped up from there. Members of team rock demonstrated acrobatic techniques, flipping and spinning through the air, breaking concrete and springing over the rail in front of the stage to land among the audience.
At one point, Butler called a man from the crowd up on to the stage. He had the man lie on his back with his feet flat on the ground, then rested a board on the man's knees. Holding another board above his head, he directed another member of the team to break both boards in a single kick.
First, however, Butler blindfolded him, to the obvious distress of the man on the ground.
The stunt went off perfectly, though, as the blindfolded ninja shot a foot through the upper board before slamming it down between the volunteer's knees, breaking the second board and leaving him unscathed.
After the show, Butler urged members of audience to donate to ChildFund International, a sponsorship foundation which Team Rock partners with to give resources and education to children in other countries. He described the sponsorship drive as the team's main goal.