He’s not a bird, not a plane, and not quite a super hero (yet) but Ryoga Vee is a Ninja.

The Sunnyvale native, 34, is a full-fledged Ninja, a member of a growing community of fans and enthusiasts of American Ninja Warrior, the obstacle course competition imported from Japan and airing on NBC. He’s competed on every season of the show wearing an iconic self-styled costume. He’s already training for the next one and completed in Sasuke Malaysia last month.

Fight clubs all over California keep him busy, and he’s pitching films to G4 and working on a hacker dojo space focused on gaming.

Possibly the most surprising thing he’s done since 2007, though, is leave Google’s hallowed halls to focus on his own projects.

SanJose.com: What does it take to be a fight-clubbing, roof-jumping, Ninja Warrior superhero?

Vee: Much like anything in life or any activity that people are passionate about you have to be fully in it. You can’t half-ass anything that you’re truly passionate about.

Best local spots to practice?

The Bay Area has some of of the best architecture, geography and community to facilitate nearly any activity. The best rock climbing gyms in the world are based right here in the South Bay—shout out to Planet Granite in Sunnyvale! San Jose still hosts many parkour jams downtown. Battery Godfrey in San Francisco is still a beloved place to train. Many of the best Ninja training spots are in private homes but APEX in Concord is open to all and run by a fellow Ninja.

If you had been born in a time before technology, TV, and obstacle courses, what would you be doing?

They say necessity is the mother of invention. I was born at a very critical time that over the course of the past 30 years I’ve been fortunate to be placed in situations that have allowed me to utilize the skills and talents I have in the best way possible. If I was living in a time where there was no Ninja Warrior, no parkour, and no fight club, I would’ve found a way. These are things that I would’ve likely created myself.