Martial Arts Den The Dengineers

-I'm Lauren.

-And I'm Joe.

-And this is The Dengineers.

The show that puts you in charge of building your very own dream den.

Dens for adventure...

It's got secret doors!

Hanging out with your friends and family...

It's amazing!

And dens built to fulfil your dreams.

It's amazing. Thank you so much.

Whatever your idea, the Dengineers team are here

to transform your inspiration into amazing spaces.

-Whoa!

-Built especially for you.

ALL: This den is done!

Merry Christmas!

-Whoa!

-Whaa!

Today, we're at a school in Manchester to surprise a girl

who wants her very own martial arts den.

Actually, Joe, I've just signed up for a year's worth

of martial arts classes myself.

-Ooh, which one?

-Origami.

It's not a martial art, it's the art of paper-folding.

-What?

-Paper-folding.

Oh. I hope I can get a refund.

-You crease me up. Come on!

-Too soon, Joe!

-Ah.

-Too soon!

-Sorry.

Today's Dengineer is nine-year-old Nya from Manchester.

Please, Dengineers, help me.

I really want a martial arts den so I can practise my speed,

stamina and strength whenever I want.

Nya loves sport, and does she play a lot of them!

There's athletics, swimming, football and boxing.

And the new sport she wants to master is martial arts.

Nya's interest in martial arts came from when I was in the loft,

all my old stuff was up there,

so I dusted it off and got it out for her and she had a go

and took to it like a duck to water.

The skills she can take into martial arts, she's very quick,

very determined and tough.

She's got the ability to go very far, to be honest.

To become a martial arts pro,

you need to master strength, speed and skill,

but you also need space,

and that's one thing our Nya doesn't always have a lot of.

Nya shares a room with Cree.

And as well as they get on, they have got a lovely relationship,

it isn't always easy for her.

She hasn't really got a space that's her own.

If Cree wakes Nya up, it can be difficult for her with her sports.

She likes to perform at her best at all times.

Sometimes she's tired, you know, it's not ideal.

Personally, I wouldn't like to share a room with Cree,

but Nya, she never complains. She's amazing.

She's really thoughtful and quite selfless.

This girl needs a den to help her become a martial arts pro.

And a den is exactly what Nya's going to get,

she just doesn't know it yet.

For today's hit, we've come to Nya's school,

where she's about to get stuck into, you guessed it, a spot of sport.

Our dedicated team of Dengineers have been busy

fitting their hidden cameras all around the hall,

where her lunchtime gymnastics session is about to take place.

Mrs Wigstone, you are in charge of Nya's gymnastics class today,

so you're the perfect person to be our Dengineer on the inside.

-Are you up for it?

-I really am, yes.

-Excellent stuff.

Now, do we think Nya knows anything about what's about to happen?

-No, she's no idea at all.

-That's what we like.

And also, is there anything we need to know about the class today?

You might notice that some of them have got strange hair styles.

We've got mad hair day today, a charity day,

so they're enjoying their mad hair.

Now, I know why you did yours like that.

This is my normal hair, Joe.

Our hidden cameras are in place,

just in time for Nya and her pals to enter the hall.

-Ssh!

-And we're hiding a matter of metres away,

waiting for the perfect moment to pop out.

TV IS glamorous, but not today, Joe,

because apparently, we're in the stockroom.

-Careful!

-CLATTER!

Ssh!

-JOE STIFLES A LAUGH Tambourine, 'course!

-That was very silly.

-WHISPERS:

-Put that down.

-CLATTER!

-The class is in full swing.

-The surprise is on.

WHISPERS: Go on, go in. Yeah.

Travel at lower level.

Hello. Hello, everybody!

Hello! Sorry to interrupt.

-We're looking for Nya. Is Nya anywhere?

-Where's Nya?

Oh, Nya, there you are! Hello!

-Hi. My name's Joe.

-And my name is Lauren,

and we are from CBBC's The Dengineers.

Now, we've heard that you want to build your very own den

that you can keep fit and strong and practise your martial arts in.

-Is that right?

-Yeah.

Well, guess what, Nya? You are in luck today,

because that's exactly what you're going to get.

-How does that sound?

-Really amazing.

-Really amazing?

Well, Nya, we have got tons and tons of work to crack on with,

so if it's OK, we're going to pinch you out of your PE class

to take you away to get cracking. Is that all right?

-Yeah.

-Come on, let's go.

What's just happened is really amazing. I didn't expect it.

I'm probably the happiest ever.

Nya looked really surprised

and she looked so happy when everyone came in.

Nya deserves the den because she's, like, really kind and really sporty.

Our first port of call is the Dengineers mobile HQ,

which has some mega-cool technology to get this den rolling.

Nya, this is where we're going to get all those ideas

that I know you've got in your head,

get them onto this big computer and come up with a design for your den.

Remember, you're the boss, so anything you see,

-if you want it, just grab it and throw it up there, OK?

-Yeah.

What's catching your attention immediately?

-Who's that?

-That's my baby brother, Cree.

Cree sleeps in the same bedroom as you, doesn't he?

-Yeah.

-What's that like?

Sometimes he can be quite noisy and mischievous.

When I'm sleeping, in the middle of the night,

he wakes up and starts crying. I can't get back to sleep then.

-We love Cree, but we maybe need a bit of a space away from him.

-Yeah.

I quite like this one.

Martial arts is quite, like, a disciplined type of sport, isn't it?

Yeah. You have to, like, shake their hand after to show respect.

-Ah! Interesting!

-I didn't know that.

What about the exterior?

Ah, that looks great, yeah.

-It's a very, sort of, Japanese style.

-Yeah.

And how about inside?

Inside, do you know them wooden things, where you go like that?

-Yeah.

-Like, test your speed and things.

-I know, I know!

-Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

So, seeing how fast you can get each one?

Yeah. I really like the dojo.

It's where the kids do, like, all their training.

Brilliant idea.

So, Nya, what's the ultimate ambition, would you say?

I really want to go to the Olympics one day.

Thousands of people watching me,

and I want to show them what I actually can do.

Well, this den is certainly going to be something that we can do

to help you achieve your ambition of getting to the Olympics.

Nya has decided on a Japanese-style exterior for her den,

with the inside looking like a traditional dojo,

complete with loads of training equipment

to help her become a martial arts pro.

But who will make Nya's den dreams a reality?

Step forward, Olga.

She's an expert in creating mind-blowing dens,

and has all the skills needed to give this den some serious punch.

Hi, Nya. You have chosen all the Japanese traditional images,

so I thought that would be a nice base for the outside of your den.

-It sounds, like, really, really good and cool.

-Brilliant.

For the inside, you're going to have all the equipment

to train your strength, speed,

stamina and accuracy in your martial arts.

You're going to have a chin-up bar, you're going to have a punch bag.

What about a wooden dummy that you can train all your moves on?

I think it sounds really, really excellent.

Are you happy to sign off my design and we can start building your den?

-Absolutely!

-Brilliant. We have a deal.

Olga's plans have been given a big tick from Nya.

She's designed the outside of the den

to look like a traditional Japanese tea house,

complete with cool sliding doors.

On the inside, Nya will have a chin-up bar,

punch bag, as well as an awesome Wing Chun wooden dummy

to help her develop and improve her martial arts skills.

I'm really, really excited by Olga's plans

because she's just really creative and she likes different colours.

That's what I like about her.

Den design signed off, it's time to remove

all non-essential personnel from this garden.

From here on in, this in Dengineers only, and it is a no-family zone.

-There it is!

-Sorry, Mum.

-OK. Bye.

-See you later.

-See you, Mum.

-Thanks for your continued support.

-Thanks, though. Bye!

I'm excited for Nya, but I'm also nervous

because Nya's imagination is wild.

Before anything can be built, we need a concrete base

to support the weight of Nya's den.

Hey, what do you think, then, eh?

-It looks really, really big.

-Big, eh? Not half!

For this base, the Dengineers are pouring enough concrete

to support the weight of over six cars.

-BOTH: This base is done!

-Yes!

With the ground ready for action,

it's time for the rest of the team to arrive.

And do we bring a lot of kit!

Morning, Ben. Here we go again.

Yeah, that's it, that's it. Yes, mate.

Whilst Nya gets stuck in, the rest of the team start

putting up the main structure of the den,

which has been constructed off-site out of over 162 metres of timber.

That's the height of 27 giraffes.

Olga, we've well and truly taken over the place.

Is there anything that me and Nya can get on with?

As you can see, the structure is going up,

so this is going to be the best job for you.

-Shall we do it together?

-Yeah.

A structure this big needs lots of screws to keep it together,

and it turns out Nya is a power tool pro.

Ready? Hand on the back again. Push really hard.

WHIRRING

Go on, keep going, keep going.

Good!

WHIRRING DROWNS OUT SPEECH

-Yes!

-Argh!

-Well done!

-You like that, don't you?

-Yeah!

THEY LAUGH

-It's all on you now, Joe.

-OK.

-No pressure.

Well, I've got to put pressure on it.

It won't go in if I don't do that. Hey-hey!

-WHIRRING

-Ooh!

-It's all right. It's OK.

-Are you ready, Dave?

-I'm ready, mate.

-It's coming at ya.

-It's coming at me.

Oh! No, it's not. It's staying there for a bit.

-It's staying there for a bit.

-What does he need to do?

With Nya's help and my hindrance,

the team spend the rest of the morning

putting up the structure of the den.

The Dengineers' team are a tough bunch,

and our Nya wants to find out who is the strongest of the lot.

Time for the inaugural Dengineers' Push-up Challenge!

Ow! These...these pebbles are like tiny little pins.

13, 14...

Go on, Olga. 14. Solid!

29, 30. Yes!

Ah. Best I could do.

-JOE AND NYA:

-32, 33...

-Oh! I'm done! I'm done!

-Well done.

Harry, do you want to give it a go?

No, thanks. I'm an artist, not a sportswoman.

Connor, it's your turn.

35, 36...

-Whoa! He's so good at this!

-..39...

-Oh, is he going to go 40?

-..40.

-40!

43, 44...

-Yeah!

-44!

-LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

-I've never wanted something more.

-LAUGHTER

-Last up. Are you ready?

-Yes.

32, 33... Go on!

48, 49...

50!

CHEERING

Well, that showed everybody, didn't it, really?

The person who did the most push-ups on The Dengineers team was me.

I didn't really expect it, but I was really happy about it.

While the team rest their muscles,

I grab five minutes with Nya's mum and dad

to get the scoop on why she needs this awesome den.

Where does Nya's interest in martial arts come from?

I did do a little bit of martial arts before the children,

so she's maybe seen me talk about it and wanted to give it a go.

So, do you think if she does actually let you in the den,

-you might take up martial arts yourself again?

-Definitely.

-She's got a younger brother.

-She has, yeah. Cree.

They share a room. And how old's Cree?

He's only two. And he's a handful. He's not an easy two.

Sometimes he wakes her up in the night, which isn't ideal

when she's got sports on and she's going there tired.

What do you think this is going to mean to her?

Many positives from this.

She's got her own space, she'll be in there training all the time.

So, yeah, it'll really help her.

How far do you think Nya can go with martial arts?

You think maybe, like, the Olympics?

That's Nya's dream. If you say, "What do you want to be?"

-She's, like, "An athlete."

-Brilliant.

As day one comes to an end,

the team have made brilliant progress with the den.

Even finding time to put the roof on.

Today has gone amazingly well, and it's all thanks to Nya.

She painted the den, she helped with everything I've asked of her.

Nya is a perfect Dengineer.

It's day two in Manchester,

and the team have arrived on site to a roofing catastrophe.

Problem. Just because of the angle of the roof,

we've put too much tension on the boards,

so they've got a bit of a bow.

This bow, or curve, means the team won't be able to fit

the tiles to the roof correctly,

which could result in water leaking into Nya's den.

How are we going to get that down?

We need to loosen the screws on that side and on that side.

The only chance of saving the roof is to loosen the screws

to relieve the pressure on the wood,

before flattening out the roof back to its original shape.

Solved. Just need to screw it all back together now.

WHIRRING

-Yeah, that's better. It's done. Fixed it.

-Fixed.

With the roof sorted, the team crack on,

laying 32 square metres of metal tiles,

which aren't only durable and waterproof,

but will also give Nya the Japanese style she's after.

Nya's den has two spectacular sliding doors,

and I want to find out the engineering challenges

this has brought to chief carpenter, David.

-Dave.

-Joe.

-Sliding doors.

-Yes.

-I like them.

-OK.

Can you tell me more about them? Because I don't know how they work.

Well, I can give you a bit of a demo.

-If you imagine...

-Right.

-..this is the main structure of the den...

-OK.

-..this is the door. Very rough-textured.

If you just put them together, friction would take over

and they'd be really stiff and wouldn't move very easily.

So they wouldn't slide. We had to get around that somehow,

-to make them slide nice and easy.

-Yeah.

So what we do is we make a channel.

-Yeah.

-Something like that.

-OK.

-Yes?

-Right.

But there's a magic ingredient that you need to make this work properly.

-Exciting.

-Which are...

-Ball bearings.

-Ball bearings.

-Really?

-Ball bearings are the key to this.

So we place all the ball bearings...

-OK, you fill the channels with the balls.

-Yeah.

-Gotcha.

-OK. What we do then is take our door frame...

-Right.

-..place it on top.

-Yeah.

-And how does that slide?

-Oh, wow!

So the ball bearings act like little wheels, almost.

They do. They works as little wheels.

-They've taken all the weight off.

-Yeah.

The channel stops them sliding off and falling all over the place,

and it just makes a nice, easy sliding door.

I really feel like I've learnt something, Dave. Thank you.

No problem, mate.

The key components in these sliding doors are the ball bearings

that sit inside the wooden channels, reducing the amount of friction

between the main structure of the den and the doors,

allowing them to slide easily when opening and closing.

These channels can be positioned at the bottom of the door,

the top, or even both.

It's been a frantic morning of den-building,

so it's time to down tools for a well-deserved lunch break.

It's lovely having the Dengineers taking over the house.

Luckily, they're all fairly tidy.

Fed and refreshed, the team head back to the garden

to finish painting the inside of the den.

Whilst Nya and Dengineer Harriet

make some Japanese-style banners,

using a fizzy-drink bottle to create the flowers.

Moment of truth.

Finished stamp. There we go.

Oh, that one worked!

Working on the Dengineers team, it's really exciting

because you're getting your dream den built,

and I think it feels quite nice for everybody working together

to build my den.

If Nya is going to reach the Olympics one day,

I want her to see what it takes to become a Team GB athlete,

so we're taking a break from the build to come to

the British Judo Centre of Excellence in Walsall.

Check those guys out! Look at their moves! It's amazing!

I could watch this all day.

So, Nya, it's pretty cool in here, but what I was thinking is,

wouldn't it be even cooler

if we could meet an Olympian

who went to Rio 2016 and who won a bronze medal?

-Would that be all right?

-Yeah, that would be amazing.

That would be really amazing! Sally? Hi!

-Hey!

-Hi!

-Hi, Nya! How you doing?

-Good.

-Good?

Olympic bronze medallist Sally Conway

is one of world's top judo stars, and therefore the perfect person

to teach our Nya some pro moves.

The first throw I'm going to show you today is ippon seoi nage.

It's one of my favourite throws.

So you grip there and then you're going to step there,

there, and I'm going to pick you up, like that,

and throw you over my shoulder.

-Whoa!

-Do you want to have a go?

-OK.

-OK.

What do you think of her skills, Sally?

Pretty impressive. Professional!

Ready?

Aw, that was the best one! I think you're a quick learner.

Nya is picking it up so quickly. She just gets it.

Being taught judo throws by an Olympian, it was just amazing.

It makes me feel like I'm actually one of them.

Do you think you can throw Lauren now? Are you ready?

OK, Nya, it's me versus you.

Go easy on me, will you?

Here we go! And... Whoa!

Oh, good, Nya! Excellent!

Whoa!

Good. Good. Yes!

Oh! Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! That actually hurt! Help me!

My dream is to go to the Olympics and represent Great Britain.

What advice do you have for getting there?

To get to the Olympic Games, it takes a lot of hard work.

It's just about learning from your mistakes

and always trying to better yourself.

Before we go, can we see your medal?

-Of course you can.

-Yes!

-Do you want to see it, Nya? OK.

-Wow!

-There we go.

-How cool is that?

-Would you like to hold it?

-Have a look.

Could you see yourself with one of those around your neck one day?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I think today's been absolutely brilliant.

I still want to go to the Olympics.

I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing

and hopefully, I'll get there one day.

Back at the den, day three is in full swing,

and the team are starting to fit the training equipment

which will help Nya master her martial arts moves.

This wooden dummy is used to practise

the traditional Chinese martial art, Wing Chun,

which was invented in the 17th century as a form of self-defence.

And we've invited Wing Chun expert Master Moy along

to help Nya learn the correct technique for this equipment.

This simulates your opponent's body.

So it teaches you to move around your opponent.

We're going to do some simple parrying techniques.

So it's like we're slapping the opponent's hands away from us.

-You want to try?

-OK.

-OK.

So, one...two...three on the outside,

and then four on the other side.

And then five...and then six on the inside.

That's it. Seven...

..eight.

And that's it. OK?

Now, the next ones, you've got to move a bit more, OK?

So...one, two, three, four,

five, six... Good!

..seven, eight. Well done.

I think that Nya picked up those Wing Chun techniques really well.

Because they're not easy. They're very complicated.

She's got a talent there,

so whatever she decided to do, she could be really, really good at it.

Back in the garden, the team are busy

fitting the rest of the training equipment.

Yay!

And they're doing so without Nya,

because she won't see the den again until the Big Reveal tomorrow.

I'm feeling quite chilled about not seeing my den

because I know the Dengineers will do a good job of it.

Nya might not be able to see the den, but that doesn't mean

she can't still help our Olga with the Upcycle.

So, Nya, in your den, you're going to need some hooks

to hook your clothes when you're going to exercise,

so I've found a piece of wood and an old toy

to change them into hooks for you.

Sounds really, really good.

The first step of this awesome upcycle is to carefully

saw the dragon toy in half to create two clothes hooks.

That's it. Well done!

Before moving on to painting both the hooks.

You make it look so easy.

And the wooden base they'll be attached to.

I think you did a great job here.

The next time Nya will see her upcycled clothes hooks,

they'll have pride of place on the walls of her den.

Day three has come to an end in Manchester,

and the den is looking in great shape for the Big Reveal tomorrow.

It's the morning of day four, and we want this den looking perfect

for the Big Reveal in a few hours' time.

But first, there's a puzzle to solve.

They're not the same size!

That of Nya's martial arts floor mats.

I don't understand it. Can I wedge it in?

-Turn it around, turn it around.

-Turn it...? It's a square!

Just turn it around!

Argh! This is so annoying!

Why doesn't it fit?!

Come on! We can do it!

-And now the last one.

-Just squeeze that in.

-Come on!

Yes! We did it!

Yes!

With the matting mystery finally solved,

the Dengineers make one final push towards the finish line.

And that is signed by an Olympian.

This patch of garden started as a blank canvas.

But Olga and the Dengineers

have worked wonders over the past four days,

and transformed it into a magnificent martial arts den

where Nya can master her moves.

The stage is set for the Big Reveal, and Nya's friends and family

have arrived at the house to see the den.

I'm really excited about seeing my completed den.

It's going to be very important

because it will help me for, like, my future.

I'm most excited about just seeing the finished result.

I've heard lots of clattering and banging and things being done,

but I've no idea what's in there, so I'm excited to see

and excited to see the space that Nya's going to have.

Open the curtains, I can't cope.

Well, Mum, you don't have to wait any longer

because it's countdown time.

ALL: Three...two...one!

-Whoa!

-Oh-ho!

Oh, my word!

Nya, what do you think?

I think it looks absolutely amazing!

-It's better than I even expected!

-Yes!

-A-ha!

Nya wanted a martial arts den in a traditional Japanese style,

and the Dengineers have delivered on a huge scale.

I really like the roof.

-What do you like about the roof?

-That pattern, like, the wavy one.

What else do you like the look of, Nya?

I really like the look of the handle.

It must have had a lot of detail put into it.

The structure has been designed to look like

a traditional Japanese tea house,

with an awesome tiled roof, iconic sliding doors

and we've added even more Japanese style

with Nya's very own dragon logo.

I think that my amazing den is amazing.

It's even better than I imagined.

Aw! Sally!

That IS Sally,

and that picture is actually only one of four in the entire world.

Amazing!

You've got your Wing Chun here.

You've also got a pull-up bar there for your strength.

-How cool?

-And I can actually reach it, I think.

Go on, have a go.

-Yeah!

-Yeah!

-Bring it on!

-There you go!

That is amazing!

As well as this chin-up bar, there's a punch bag to improve Nya's stamina

and a Wing Chun wooden dummy to help her master her technique.

Also on the inside, Nya's got some mementos from her Den Day Out,

her upcycled dragon clothes hooks,

and there's one final surprise to add some ninja mystery to this dojo.

Whoops-a-daisy! Hello!

-What do you think of that?

-I think it looks amazing!

I think it's the best part of the den.

Is this the perfect space?

-Yeah.

-Oh, I'm so glad!

-Is it everything you wanted it to be?

-Yeah, even more.

This den is going to mean to me, like, going to the Olympics one day,

I think it's going to make my dream come true.

I just love everything about it.

Thank you for building my den.

You're welcome. It was a pleasure. We built it together.

It was an absolute pleasure to work with her,

and I'm so glad she likes what we've achieved together.

-Wow! It's wicked, isn't it?

-Oh, my!

-Nya?

-Yeah?

-That's you!

I think this den is going to mean the world to Nya,

now that she can come in here and practise,

and it'll help her to achieve her dreams and goals.

Thank you so much, Olga. This is absolutely amazing.

-Better than I even imagined.

-Yeah.

-It was my pleasure.

-She always makes me proud anyway,

but this just goes to prove what kind of person she is.

She's hard working and she never gives up.

She makes me really proud.

The whole experience has been really, really amazing.

I've learnt how to paint properly,

I've learnt how to, like, engineer things.

I think they've taught me a lot,

and I think that's going to help me in my future, when I'm older.

One thing's for sure, this martial arts den is a huge hit

with everyone here in Manchester.

So there's only one thing left to do.

ALL: This den is done!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE