 Ninja worked hard to care for his mother, Esther Leake, who had Parkinson's and used a wheelchair.Her trips with Ninja to the ballet and the Apollo were inspiration for his later endeavors in dance.Willi Ninja started the House of Ninja in 1982, with Sandy Apollonia Ninja, despite not having been part of a house previously or winning three grand prizes, which was generally seen as a requirement to start a house.