I purchased the two day clinic as a birthday present for my wife, as I had just ordered her an emtb. then in march my wife and I got the bad news.... she needs double mastectomy followed by hysterectomy! harsh.....3 surgeries expected in the next 9 months. we reached out to ride like a ninja -" no refund see our policies". no compassion there -it's business! needless to say I'd never associate with a group who operates and treats people like this. might be a good class which is why I purchased - but they are a show me the money group! read more

I ordered some Knee pads, then returned them in perfect condition. They confirmed receipt of my return on April 10th, and to this day (May 4th), they still have not issued my refund. It's been 24 days since they received my return! I've contacted customer service multiple time over the last few weeks about this. They just keep telling me that they've reached out their accounting team. Yet nothing ever happens! These people are either grossly incompetent, unscrupulous, or both. I have been forced to dispute the charges with my credit card company. Unbelievable! read more

I took the Jump clinic in Alabama at Oak Mountain State park on April 26. It was amazing, the instructor was top notch, she really paid attention to all the riders and gave great instruction, feedback and tips. It was so worth it, my only regret is not taking all the clinics they had available that weekend. read more

Company over promised and under performed. Ordered a jump ramp in December 15 2024 from the website. On the web page in big bold letters it said would arrive by Christmas. Today is 1/19/2024 and the ramp still has not arrived. They did send a ecard to give to my kid at Christmas stating that it was ordered and on its way. Just what every kid wants! Thanks read more

I registered for an intermediate skills clinic in order to join a friend who also registered. I paid for insurance, as I was not sure I could actually make the date which was months in the future. Turns out I needed to cancel. Thankfully I paid for insurance. Well, the insurance I paid for was not what I thought. It only provided a credit to take the exact same course again in the future. This was not my understanding when the insurance was purchased. So now I am out for the cost of the course and the insurance. As these courses have a wait list, the only people who profited from this was Ninja... Not happy! read more

I took the 1/2 day Fundamentals course this past Saturday in San Diego. Drove down from LA to attend. The class was overbooked - about 20 people to only 1 instructor (Gail) and her assistant (Russell). So forget any meaningful instruction interaction. And their teaching style was to cram in quick demo's of many different skills into the short time with no real time to practice, learn or ingest the teachings. They were obsessed with spitting out this 'fundamentals class curriculum' just to say they checked the box and demo'd all of it. Regardless if the attendees understood any of it or not. And often when we would ask questions the instructor would respond with a 'not a part of this class, if you want to learn about that then take the next level class.' But mainly the issue was after a quick demo of a skill, they would line us up in a circle and have us quickly ride in front of them to attempt the skill but often wouldn't give any feedback because they were distracted with another student and then they would move on to the next skill. It is a scatter shot of lessons speed-demo'd to you in a way impossible to learn anything from. Much better off watching a free Youtube video since you don't get any real interaction anyway. I understand this company has grown exponentially over the past few years and they have slick marketing that sells the promise of improving your MTB skills if you give them a few hundred bucks for a class. But my suggestion for longevity is to slow down! Forget over-booking classes for maximum revenue, instead concentrate on giving QUALITY instruction for the amount of money they charge to much smaller class sizes where everyone, at all skill levels, will feel like they have improved in some area after having taken the class. read more

My Son Harrison took the 2 day clinic at Markham Park, liked it so much he keeps asking if he can take it again

Great Facebook reviews. That's it. They sell services w/ a $22 insurance in case of a cancellation. Makes sense when paying 6 months ahead of time almost $900. As I tore my ligaments before the class, I cancelled as per their terms. 4+ weeks later/ 9 emails/ 8 refund promises. Does not seem legit. Very unprofessional. I was excited to try more classes. Guess I am all set! read more

I attended my first ninja course (Women's fundamentals) with Joanna Yates in Sedona on February 15th. To say I loved it would be an understatement! Joanna is an amazingly skilled coach and made everything super easy to understand. The curriculum was just what I needed to start taking my riding to the next level. I had no idea we were going to try things like wheel lifts, and I'm so glad we did!! I cant tell you the level of stoke I experienced when I started nailing those wheel lifts!! Joannas infectious love of the sport definitely helped me to have so much FUN during the clinic! If you've never taken a ninja clinic before, I would recommend it 1,000 times! This certainly won't be my last Ninja clinic! read more

I took the Basic Skills class for women in Hood River, OR with instructor Kim Cross. Kim was a great teacher. I found her sequencing easy to follow and her teaching style welcoming. I found out after class she's also a writer for Outside magazine - very cool! I highly recommend Ninja and Kim as an instructor. read more

I attended the recent 1-day Intermediate/Advanced camp that was moved from Morley Field to Lake Hodges. At first I was a little disappointed about the location change b/c I'd never ridden anything in the Morley area, and I'd already ridden Hodges. Turns out, where you ride for the 1-day camp doesn't really matter b/c Richard, Randy and visiting instructor Hanna aren't there to take you on a scenic ride... they're there to teach you how to be a better rider and like everything that you learn, you get better with practice, and practice means repetition... on the same sections of trail over and over until you're decent on it. We could've been on "that NFL's football team's former field" and it wouldn't have mattered as long as there was some hills, dirt, drops, switchbacks, tech sections... you're there to practice your skills. It's session-mania, which is good, at least for me. Oftentimes, I'll ride with friends and we'll ride a technical section and I'll either clear it or not. If I don't clear it, I won't go back and try it again and again... and again that day. But that's what you get to do at Ninja camp. Also, they reminded us of some fundamentals that we may not always think about while on the trail but just do or sometimes/often don't do. "Dominant foot" comes to mind. "Separation," "Tap," "Trap," and "head/eyes up" come to mind too. (Sorry readers, you have to take the class for further explanation.) Toward the end of the day, I was feeling more confident than ever about my riding and my ability to corner better (the most requested help item by the class). After this class, I'm hoping to wear down the side knobs on my tires more, if not tear them off. My secret victory of the day was dropping into a steep "U" shaped ravine/creek (dried creek bed?) at a decent clip and rolling up the other side. About 20 years ago I went OTB at the bottom of this little ravine and have since rode it only once after for a charity ride (and not very fast). I've ridden sketchier, narrower, steeper stuff since but there was something about this ravine that always made me a little nervous. Well, that nervousness is gone now. I had a great time. Best tips: "inside/out" for switchbacks and "push down" for those slow speed drops. (Sorry readers, you have to take the class for further explanation.) If I absolutely had to pick one thing the class could have skipped... I'd say the talk about suspension setup, especially for a intermediate/advanced class, because ultimately the perfect suspension setup... depends. Depends on the rider, weight, conditions, weather, personal preferences, etc. But that's the only critical thing I can come up with for this review. "It's not about the things, it's about the experiences (though a nice bike's a nice thing to have"). Thanks Ninja Richard, Ninja Randy and Ninja Hanna for a great experience. read more

I was concerned with a skills camp that was labeled 'intermediate' - boy was I wrong! I learned a ton over the two day that will allow me to ride faster and safer. Our instructors were experienced and very good at teaching - from introducing, demonstrating, breaking down and providing feedback. The downside (if you want to call it that) is there's so much knowledge being shared that two days is almost not enough time... in other words, there's a lot of value for what you pay for. I truly enjoyed the clinic - from trails to instructors to co-participants - and I will be booking additional clinics with the Ninjas! I highly recommend for anyone who doesn't rate themselves as a paid professional MTB'r - sign up for a Ninja class. read more

I highly recommend the Ninja Mountain Bike Performance training clinics!!! I attended the Introductory clinic at the Irvine Regional Park/Santiago Oaks Trails on 7/29/2017. I learned a tremendous amount that I was able to put to immediate use on the trails!!! This is helping build my foundation that I can build upon. I will definetly take the Intermediate/Advanced two day class later in the year to improve even more!!! Thanks Richard La China and Randy! You can find more information on their clinics at the following link http://ridelikeaninja.com read more

Update on my review from three years ago. I was a beginner mountain biker when I wrote my first review. After taking skills lessons with Richard I decided to have him coach me to race. I competed in the Kenda Cup Mountain bike series and came in 2nd overall! Pretty amazing since I started mountain biking later in life. I have been to Sedona and New Zealand for Ninja Mountain bike adventures. They were the best vacations I have ever taken! I have had the opportunity to learn from several of the instructors and they are all all wonderful. I highly recommend Ninja Mountain Bike Performance for anyone who rides a mountain bike! read more

I took the 1/2 day women's beginner skills clinic last weekend in Malibu. I don't consider myself to be naturally athletic or very coachable with mind/body coordination stuff that is scary, so I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to take the directions given in the class out of sheer brain fritz fear stuff. Richard was able to really explain things in a way that made sense. He was engaging, and passionate and had really worked hard on the course and the way he explains things. It really shows. It was seamless and I feel that I came away with a few skills that I want to practice on repeat for a few months. Cornering, body positioning, climbing, and steep descents. Courtney was also super great at explaining and demoing things. I think it was really important to have 2 teachers so they could give perfect visual examples of what they were talking about. I would definitely take another course from team Ninja again. :-) read more

I had a great time at a 3 day camp in Big Bear, CA and my brain is still swelling with knowledge one month later. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleased with the professionalism and detail that Richard and his team brought to camp. They not only take the time to teach you great MTB skills, but when and why you should use them. They begin with the fundamentals skills and reinforce those skills throughout the camp, which I found quite helpful. The skills progress quickly and we covered a lot of ground in three days. I was able to do a few skills I had never really tried before by the end of camp. I recommend highly and plan to attend another camp in the future. read more

I took the intermediate/advanced course in Balboa Park after having ridden for just over 2 years on my own. It covered a wide breadth of skills, some of which I already felt aquatinted with and others I had little to no experience with. I found all of the material useful. I was able to improve skills I already had and was able to learn new skills. I also feel confident leaving the course that the instructors have provided all of the information for me to practice and improve outside of the course setting. The environment of Balboa Park was perfect for learning and sessioning the skills covered. The instructors were friendly, fun, and attentive to all of the participants. They spent more or less time on certain skills based on how the entire group was grasping them. They also gave individualized attention to participants that required more help with technique. The course was very fluid, engaging, and I would highly recommend it. read more

Took a 2 hr jump clinic this past sunday w Ninja and it was great! jumping gaps by the end (1+ ft for me, I think I could have done more!), and 2nd group was doing 4' gap jumps. Hannah and Jeremiah were great instructors and a good complement of analytic vs intuitive, yin /yang between them. Our group was large enough to have 2 jump lines set up (on transportable small jumps on a soccer field). I had taken a 4 hr jump clinic from sweetlines (which was also great) the weekend before and it was a good complement. read more

What an amazing weekend....so interesting and a way valuable use of my time and money. I attended the 2 day session held in Santiago oaks in late February. The class was well attended and logistics were well communicated for my needs. The content was innovative and kept my interest at all times. I honestly didn't think I would grab so many tips and insights into so many different facets of my Mtb riding. The high speed cornering session was so unique and helpful. The instructors were awesome too. Randy had a wealth of experience and was highly skilled. He was able to break down aspects I had some struggles with into bite sized pieces that I could take on and retain. Todd was intuitive and obviously highly skilled as well...his extra focus on some key pieces allowed me to accomplish things I didn't think I was going to be able to grasp. All in all I highly recommend. Attendees will walk out of there with more skills that when they walk in....and will have fun in the process. Thank you Ninja! read more

It's been several months since doing the 2 day intermediate/advanced in Santa Cruz. The wait for me to review reflects the time I feel is needed to really integrate the potential benefits of the course. I realized that I was having far more fun lately riding as I was able to hit more technical drops, rocky sections and rip turns, and do it all SAFER. I attribute this to the Ninja course and note that it takes time to feel the full benefits. I also would stress that there's a lot of information and I think it's necessary to go out and practice the principles slowly for a while after the course, not ride like usual, and expect to just get better. At least not for me and my friend that did the course as well. Definitely recommend and plan on taking another trip or course with these guys read more

I took the class in Madison, WI (Blackhawk). The class and instructor (Randy) were both wonderful. I was probably the worst-case scenario because I was such a novice on my bike, but Randy even made me feel welcome. I think that I was probably too green, but I leaned a ton and I left excited to try out my new-found skills. I will probably take this class again when I have more experience, but there is such a big difference between watching videos and having an actual expert watch and provide you with individual feedback. Highly recommended! read more

I recently attended one of the Intermediate/Advanced Efficiency and Flow clinics. Even though I have been riding for many years I learned a lot from this clinic. The techniques covered ranged from reviewing basic skills such as basic body position to practicing more advanced techniques like switchbacks, bunny hops, and cornering. I was able to recognize, get instruction, and practice some skills where I was weak and instantly improve them. Even skills I thought I was pretty good at I was able to pick up useful tips. I also realized that deliberate skills practice is not something I incorporate into my riding, but now that I understand what I should be doing I will make sure to add this in! After taking the course my comfort on the bike has improved and I am more aware of my body position and movement of the bike. I would encourage anyone of any ability to take a class with these guys. The instructors are knowledgeable and easy to work with. There is a lot of one on one help and they will make sure you understand the skills being taught and are able to perform them successfully. Plus the clinic was lots of fun! I highly recommend and hope to work with these guys again soon. read more

Richard La China's MTB skill courses are extraordinary. He's organized and has a great positive attitude. As a testament to his fine reputation, his Ninja Night MTB race series is very popular and a lot of fun! As a sponsor of his fine series, I feel he ranks at the top of the field and I'm happy to endorse him! read more

I attend the 3-day mountain bike skills camp in Mulberry Gap Georgia and it was a great experience. We spent the first day going over fundamentals and doing drills and the second and third day riding trails. The combination of instruction and practice was very useful. Our instructors, Randy and Erin, are expert riders and wonderful instructors. The explained and demonstrated skills wells and provided helpful feedback. The Mulberry Gap resort was also a wonderful location to hold this event. I would highly recommend it to individuals at a wide range of skill levels. read more

The intermediate and advanced clinic was very helpful and effective. Easy to follow, a lot of information but somehow I was able to retain it. I think because the instructors present it well. It was very professional and at the same time really fun! read more

I have, like many cyclists, been riding bikes since childhood. Feeling like I hit a plateau in my technical riding skills (because I had), I began searching for a mountain bike skills camp. I wanted to attend a camp that would push me to be a better rider, but I needed it to be in a great location on actual trails. After a fair amount of searching, I decided that spending a weekend at a Ninja Mountain Bike Skills camp would be perfect. It didn't hurt that the camp was in Big Bear. The condensed review: It took only a few hours of trail riding with Richard and Daniel to drastically change my riding for the better. The long review: The camp was broken into morning and afternoon sessions, separated by an amazing lunch on each day. The morning sessions were, in general, based on technique and riding isolated technical features. The afternoon sessions functioned more like a capstone; we rode incredible trails, like Fall Line and Skyline, and put our newly-learned skills into action. Richard and Daniel were attentive to both the class as a whole as well as each individual. The pacing of each individual lesson (I'm a teacher, so I viewed each piece as a lesson) was wonderful. There were constant checks for understanding as well as incremental assessments of our skills on the bike. We were never once, all weekend, bogged down in repetition, nor were we rushed through a skill or concept. I was blown away by the sheer volume of skills that were taught in such an easy-to-grasp manner. Of course, we were not standing by our bikes the whole time listening to a lecture: we were actively riding while Daniel and Richard looked on with critical eyes. Richard was clear in his introduction that the coaching would be critical. It was, but in the best way possible. On a personal level, I truly felt that every aspect of my riding was under constant observation. My struggles on steeper features and transitions, a definite area of weakness, led to a small get-off. Richard and Daniel, after ensuring that I was okay, quickly and accurately pointed out issues in my body positioning. Voila! Never would I have been able to assess that on my own. For the rest of the weekend, I felt like my control and balance when riding steeper features was noticeably greater, to say nothing of my confidence. At one point, Daniel pulled me aside and gave me a pep-talk about my mental mindset (I botched a section of trail and proceeded to berate myself). Daniel set me straight and, sure enough, I cleaned the remaining technical features during our session. I also re-learned a valuable lesson about positive self-talk. As a rider, it means a lot to have constant and specific feedback. Even though I fancy myself a decently-sort-of-okay Category 2 XC racer, I was forced to examine all of my fundamentals, both physical and mental. That's how you teach. Richard and Daniel continued to be attentive during our afternoon sessions and walked us through how they would approach the technical features that we encountered when riding trails in their entirety. Daniel and Richard provided smooth, clear demos on the trail features for us to try and replicate. Being able to watch them was incredible learning opportunity, not to mention the conversations between the coaches and the riders before, during, and after each feature. Cheers to Daniel who, with the full-attention of his students, had to demo sections of trail even though it was his first time riding it too. With the pressure on, he came through and gave us a great model to follow. Overall, the camp exceeded my expectations. I trail features that I can honestly say I never would've ridden by myself or with a group of friends. I met fantastic people. I laughed a lot. I learned a lot. Best of all, I got to do all of this while on my bike in Big Bear. In terms of technical riding skills, I improved more in two days than I have in the past two years of riding. Richard has put together and incredible mountain bike curriculum that is both challenging, yet accessible. His positive presence over the weekend, as well as his commitment to scouting trials and ensuring organizational success, cannot be overlooked. Richard and Daniel provided expert instruction and effective coaching cues that allowed me to understand what I needed to do ride better, faster, and smoother. I can't wait to attend another camp. read more

Such a great class. These guys do an awesome job of explaining and teaching. So patient! I learned a bunch of new stuff and got confirmation of what I am already doing properly. Cornering is a HUGE improvement and has boosted my confidence levels a ton. Worth the price, lot's of fun as well. Thanks Ninjas! read more

I've recently have taken the "Basic Skills " Clinic at Aliso Viejo. As a noobie rider, I was putting in some miles, however, not confidently. This clinic has made a huge difference in my riding. Coach Richard's teaching methods made the course easy to understand and comfortable. From his extensive experience, he explained everything from equipment to body dynamics to mind set, and how to put it all together. Our class was small, so there was a lot of information discussed and questions answered. I am now riding faster and with more confidence using the lessons learned during this clinic. I look forward to attending the intermediate/advance course soon. Thank you and excellent job Coach Richard. read more

Just finished up an Intermediate/ Advanced class here in Dallas, to say it was the best money I ever spent on mountain biking would be an understatement! Aaron Lucy was our instructor, awesome guy and a great teacher. Just to get to watch his abilities on a bike was worth the price of admission. We had riders from all groupsets attend this course which made it cool to watch the advanced riders shred it with a little instruction and pointers from Aaron, and yet see the more novice riders pick their games up to levels I'm sure they never thought they would achieve in such a short time frame. If you're looking to advance your skills or learn a whole set of them this is the course. Thanks Aaron it was a real pleasure. read more

I just took the 2 day training class. What an amazing experience. The trainers are excellent. Highly skilled and encouraging. I can ride with more confidence from the skills I learned. This training is worth every penny and minute and I would not hesitate signing up for future training events. You want to be a better rider, sign up for a training class. read more

Took the half day jump clinic in Stowe at Trapp Family Lodge this past weekend and it was great! Sue and Meg are super helpful and knowledgeable and while I wasn't able to gap the final jump, I improved so much in a short time. I now know what to do and can practice on my own. Thank you! read more

I took the two day class in NY this weekend. The clinic was very experience and age diverse. I was one of the least experienced riders in the group. The instructors, Richard, Hillary, Hannah, and Susan were awesome. Their professionalism, insight, and skill exceeded my expectations. The weekend was very challenging, at the same time there was a lot of emphasis placed on safety. The other mountain bike riders in the clinic were great to hang out with for two days, a fantastic group of people. I can't recommend Ninja Mountain Bike Performance highly enough. read more

I took the beginner class this past weekend in La Canada and it was great! They list out what the class entails on their website and they did go over all that they promised. The class was well thought out and organized. The instructor was good at explaining and demonstrating the techniques and was supportive in our efforts. It did seem to be geared for people (like me and most of the other attendees) who have been riding some, just need better technique. I'm an avid road cyclist but I've only been out on my mountain bike maybe 10 times before this class, so I was a bit nervous it would be too difficult for me. While some of the things we practiced were difficult, it was done in a safe way (ie not too steep) that made me feel comfortable to try the techniques out. Now it's all about practicing what I learned and get better so I can take the intermediate class! read more

I took the Intermediate/Advanced class at Irvine Regional Park/Santiago Oaks on 7/30. Richard and Randy were both excellent instructors and very entertaining. While I had read about and watched videos covering some of the techniques, it was extremely valuable to have the instructors watch me in real time and give me feedback right away. These guys did a great job of adjusting the course to suit the abilities and goals of the group. Very fun! read more

I'm a road Triathlete that lucked into a XTERRA World Championship slot via the lottery last year. Being a road triathlete, I had very little experience and no technical skills on a mountain bike. I took the Ninja beginner and then intermediate classes almost back to back. Richard is a great teacher, and taught the sequential skills that matter most. He does a great job of "breaking things down" with the what and the why, and illustrates the information well with his demonstrations, all the while, delivering it with a sense of humor and enthusiasm. Richard's instruction helped me successfully get through a very technical course in Maui without major injury! Yea, thank you Richard!!. Whether a complete beginner or an advanced rider, I promise you can take a lot away from his classes;....and, let's be honest,....Who doesn't want to be a NInja! read more

The Ninja team (Richard & Aaron) were great instructors! The training was in Soquel Demonstration Forest & being able take our time to session sections of Braille & Flow while having experts help fix any dysfunctions in our riding technique was priceless. I know I've always had to brake-check a lot before hitting the corners, but now I actually feel more planted while carrying more speed around the berms just w/ a slight change in hip position. I can't wait to actually hit Flow again at speed just to see how my time has improved. As for Braille, I know I need to session some of the jumps & drops a few more times before I hit them at speed (instead of bypassing around most of them as I have in the past) but now I should have the tools to know what I need to practice. Technical instruction aside, they also talked about efficient uphill pedaling, gearing choices as well as techniques to build up more mitochondria in your body... all stuff I'm interested in since I know I need to build up my climbing legs. read more

Just finished the two-day Laguna Mountain camp with the ride down Noble Canyon. Simply the most fun I've ever had on a bike! Richard and Aaron are first class instructors and coaches, and they put on an extremely well supported weekend. The skills portion on Saturday reminded me the skills I've let slide on the easy rides I've been doing (I've taken Ninja's advanced class once before), so I was confident on the challenging segments of the canyon (and confident I was right to walk down "Stairway to Hell" and "Widow Maker"). I can't wait for my next camp! read more