tufrthanu Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 Howdy all, just wanted to get your thoughts on the different types of mats out there available for the dojang. My soon to be former instructor recently installed the interlocking kind like proforce sells and I hate them. They were super greasy originally and people slipped all over. Now they have so much friction you cant wear MA shoes on them...which for health reasons is a problem for me. So I figured ok I will go without shoes just until I find a new dojang. Unfortunately I got my little toe stuck in between two of the interlocking mats just as I went to do a back leg round kick and ended up spraining my toe which has since turned purple. These seem like hazardous mats to me. So what do you all think of this type of mat and other styles of mat out there? Long Live the Fighters!
ninjanurse Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 Puzzle mats are definitely a hazard!!! I have trained at a few different schools an the best flooring that I have found to work out on is gymnastics flooring. It is 2-3 inch thick firm foam with a thin carpet layering over it. Great for landings and missed landings , accomodates training shoes or bare feet, not to much give, safe for ankles and knees. My present Master instructor installled tatami style sectional mats which fit together very tightly and are nice to work out on but there is an occasional loose seam for tripping on. Of course, back in the old days.....we trained on hardwood floors, had blisters on our feet, and our knees and ankles hurt all the time (gotta love that arthritis!).....ahhh, those were the days! "A Black Belt is only the beginning."Heidi-A student of the artsTae Kwon Do,Shotokan,Ju Jitsu,Modern Arnishttp://the100info.tumblr.com/
tufrthanu Posted February 9, 2005 Author Posted February 9, 2005 Lol ninja i appreciate the feedback and am glad to see im not the only one to think those mats arent great. BTW where in upstate ny are you from...i was born in roch. Long Live the Fighters!
ninjanurse Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 I am in the Finger Lakes between Penn Yan and Watkins Glen. I was not raised here though, only transplanted 5 years ago...originally I am from the West Coast. Presently I train in Penn Yan and Canandaigua. "A Black Belt is only the beginning."Heidi-A student of the artsTae Kwon Do,Shotokan,Ju Jitsu,Modern Arnishttp://the100info.tumblr.com/
tufrthanu Posted February 9, 2005 Author Posted February 9, 2005 OK cool ive heard of canadagua. Long Live the Fighters!
JaseP Posted February 10, 2005 Posted February 10, 2005 A hardwood floor is preferable to mats in most Korean martial arts practice (with the possible exception of Hapkido). Mats tend to give too much and bind the supporting foot, preventing proper rotation. The resulting injuries can include foot, ankle, knee and hip injuries, most involving the tendons or ligaments in those joints. A "solution" would be to execute a little "hop" as part of the chamber for the kicks to "unstuck" to supporting foot... I only have mats out when doing particular kinds of traning... Master Jason Powlette5th Dan, Tang Soo Do--Tang Soo!!!
CloudDragon Posted February 11, 2005 Posted February 11, 2005 Puzzle mats are great for short term use, like tournaments and such. They are hell in the school though. I would talk to the instructor about your concerns and if they didn't offer a suitable solution, kindly move on. An interesting solution to offer would be the cheap 1/8" carpeting to cover the mats until a better solution could be found. A Black Belt is just a white belt that don't know when to quit!
TangSooGuy Posted February 11, 2005 Posted February 11, 2005 I've trained on puzzle mats as well...and I'm not a big fan of them. I've seen knee, ankle, and tow injuries that I attribute directly to the mats. I prefer hardwood, or even carpet, over the puzzle mats. About the only thing worse than puzzle mats is concrete, or linoleum...I've trained on both, and they are bad... Most people I know with puzzle mats do it solely to cover up concrete floors without having to invest in wood... It's better than the concrete, but still has huge problems.
tommarker Posted February 11, 2005 Posted February 11, 2005 Our University bought a few puzzle mats for the martial arts clubs to test out for future purchase. AWFUL. Really hard and slick. I'd have rather taken falls on the regular floor. I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
searcher Posted February 13, 2005 Posted February 13, 2005 If it is possible you should get some old or refurbished wrestling mats. They are a little squishy, but you will get used to them. I don't mind the puzzle-lok mats if that is all there is, but I would prefer the wrestling mats. If you look on the web you can find several places that sell scraps or like new mats for cheap. 300-600$ for varying sizes. "let those who shed blood with me be forever known as my brother."
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