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A Step-by-Step Guide to Dojo Mats

Everybody needs a guide to dojo mats when buying mats. These days not too many people still refer to their training gyms as dojos. There was a time where there was a dojo on every corner. Not so many people use the old terminology anymore. That said there are still a lot of karate and judo dojos around. Any traditional Japanese martial art will still refer to their training area as a dojo. Most of them are also fitted out with dojo mats. Indeed very few dojos these days have no mats. Although there would be a few which would insist on training without dojo mats. Especially certain karate school.

When choosing dojo mats it is important to know what your needs are. It is true that a lot of dojo mats are tatami mats, but they are not the only option. Tatami mats tend to be used in judo schools. In judo school there is a lot of throwing and grappling on the floor. As you sweat on the floor it is good to have a mat which is easy to wipe down. This is where tatami mats come in as they are actually pretty easy to maintain and to keep clean. This convenience however come with a price which is reflected in the cost of buying these mats.

As a guide to buying dojo mays, the other option is EVA jigsaw mats. You will in fact find that most karate schools use EVA mats for their dojos. The same can be said about tae kwon do as well. In fact EVA jigsaw mats are probably the most popular training mats there is out there. It is no surprise that you can also find them in dojos.

Black MMA Zebra Mat for martial arts and MMA

EVA Mats versus Judo Mats

There are many uses for training mats. It is easy to think that there only use is for martial arts which is why they are often referred to as martial arts mats. As mentioned in previous articles training mats can be used to training in many activities and are indeed present in many different fields. The question isn’t where they are used but why. The answer to that is more often then not as a form of protection against injury.

There are two main kinds of mats on offer which form the bulk of the training mats used by training organisations. They are EVA mats and judo mats. No particular mat is favoured by a particular activity rather there are many factories involved in which kind of mat an organisation choses to use. The reasons for which are as varied as the organisations that use them. First though it would be necessary to describe each kind of mat.

EVA Mats

Eva mats are probably the most common mat used by organisations as an anti-fatigue or protection mat. They are often referred to with a variety of names such as:

jigsaw mats
puzzle mats
gym mats

EVA refers to the material itself which is a form or plastic manufactured into a compressed foam. Having a structure like foam makes sure it has some ‘give’ which in effect gives it its absorbing qualities. As it is make from a form or plastic it is very easy and inexpensive to manufacture. It is also relatively light and can be manufactures easily in a number of different colours.

Judo Mats

Judo mats on the other hand are a combination of materials. In the middle you find compressed foam (not EVA) which is wrapped with a vinyl cover. The vinyl is durable and comes with a tatami finish. Judo mats can also come with a smooth finish but those mats are generally referred to as MMA mats. Judo mats also come with a rubber backing to help prevent them from sliding around during use. They are more expensive than EVA mats as the manufacturing process is more complex. Also they are more durable and easier to maintain.

What’s Best For Your Dojo?

So which mats are more suitable for training? Essential both kinds of mats are suitable for activities that require protection. They both have absorbing qualities and both are are popular choice. Which mat a particular organisation choses depends on personal preference. Criteria which are often considered when making a choice may include:

Budget
Durability required
Permanence of area for training
Etc

Clearly when looking at the characteristics of both judo mats and EVA mats it is obvious that they both have there appealing properties. It is these very properties which determine which mat any particular organisation decides to chose.

Jiu jitsu Mats Surge With Popularity of Training

There have been a huge surge in the demand for jiu jitsu mats in the recent past. This can be increasingly be attributed to the popularity of jiu-jitsu itself. The proliferation of jiu jitsu gyms has meant that jiu jitsu is fast overtaking karate as the most popular martial art, even though karate mats are also best sellers. Although all martial arts are still a popular choice of activity for both adults and kids. Jiu jitsu seems to be growing in leaps and bounds.

We get request for jiu-jitsu mats on a daily basis. Whether they are for personal use in the home of for professional gyms the calls come through all the time. The type of mats also vary. Whilst most people go for the interlocking floor mats as they are the most cost effective exercise mats that we have, people also go for the MMA mats and tatami mats. The professional gyms especially like to chose the heavy duty vinyl mats as they are a more long term and permanent solution for training mats.

To understand why interlocking foam mats and MMA mats are so popular it is important to understand the art. Japanese jiu jutsu (also known as jujutsu) is a system that typically emphasises throwing, pinning, and joint-locking techniques. While there is some striking techniques they are seen as less important because they were used as more as set-ups for their grappling techniques. It is this constant grappling and throwing that has made jiu jitsu mats (jujutsu mats) as popular as they are today.

Tatami Mats Have Arrived

Heavy Duty Tatami Mats.

Ezy Mats has just received a delivery of heavy duty tatami mats. The tatami mats are manufactured with heavy duty vinyl. There have a none slip back and inner sponge. The tatami mats are 40mm thick and are 230kg/cm which is idea for throwing martial arts such as judo, jiujutsu, aikido, hapkido, BJJ, MMA etc.

Our tatami which is both durable and a pleasure to train on. The mats are easy to clean and have a beautiful textured tatami finish for added grip during training.

Buy your Tatami mats NOW!

Heavy Duty Tatami Mats

At Ezy Mats we have a large range or gym and training mats. Our mats are sort after by organisations throughout Australia. We supply EVA foam mats, MMA mats, wall mats and heavy duty tatami mats. There exists a number of colour options which can be combined or used on their own. We ship out mats through out Australia. They can also be picked up from our Sydney and Melbourne warehouses.

One of our most popular mats is tatami mats. These mats are traditional used by judo organisations as it resemble the tradition mats historically used in Japanese martial arts. The mats have a tatami finish which is a very distinct pattern. Traditionally they were made with straw and can still be found in Japanese homes and some diehard Japanese martial arts school. The vast majority have long switched to the modern day variant.

The mats are not only used by Judo schools. A large variety of martial arts activities now use tatami mats. They are sort after for the protection they provide during training. Also users like the grip that the tatami pattern provides which is especially advantageous with standing arts. We also have lots of non-martial arts customers who enjoy the durability of the product and the professional look they add to their training area.

Tatami mats have a traditional tatami finish and are made of heavy duty vinyl with an inner compressed sponge and anti skid bottom. They are available in 40mm with density of 230kg/cbm and are 1m x 2m. Tatami mats are great for high impact sports. They are idea for judo, jiu-jutsu, aikido and other martial arts. They are good quality mats which are sure to last you for years to come. These mats are suitable for both training and competitions.

Colours available are black and grey.

Other colours and thickness are available by special order. Extended lead-times and additional pricing may apply.

buy now

Market Watch – AUD and Jigsaw Mats

The USD was heavily sold in Thursdays session after the Feds meeting giving the AUD its biggest one day rise in over 2 years, this now seems like a massive over reaction and a correction taking he USD back to the top of the currency pile has seen the AUD/USD fall 200 points from its peak. Iron ore prices continue to weigh in on the commodity driven unit after failing to rebound off its weakest level since early 2009. The Australian share market also looks set to open up weaker this morning following falls on wall street where energy stocks fell as well as the price of oil.

Whilst the falling Australian dollar has impacted on EVA jigsaw mats pricing, Ezymats still offer the most competitively priced jigsaw mats.

Market Watch – Australian Dollar

AUD lost 0.5% across the board yesterday ahead of the Unemployment Rate and Employment Change releases at 11:30 this morning. It traded slightly higher yesterday after Westpac Consumer Sentiment surprisingly jumped from 2.4% to 8% and Home Loans increase by the most since November 2013. It headed lower overnight as overseas investors anticipated a 0.1% increase in the Unemployment Rate to 6.2%. The number of employed people is also forecast to drop after three consecutive months of gains.

The price of our jigsaw mats are still holding steady. The recent fall in the dollar has not impact pricing for jigsaw mats at Ezymats. Ezymats still continues to be the best and cheapest supplier in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.

Markets Watch – EVA interlocking jigsaw mats

The ASX closed 0.12% higher on Friday finishing the day’s session at 5,650.50 lifting the index to a new six year high. The local market is expected to open softer this morning off the back of the US markets losing ground on Friday.

The Dow Jones fell 0.22% to 17,001.22 and the S&P500 also dropped by 0.2% to 1,988.40 in Friday’s session. The Nasdaq closed the session up by 0.14% to settle in at 4,358.55 at the close of trading.

Crude Oil fell by 0.33 to $93.65USD/bbl, whilst Gold also finished the session slightly lower to $1,279.20USD/oz.

The price of EVA interlocking jigsaw mats is steady.

AUD bouncing around

The Australian dollar traded steadily on Friday, after sustaining sharp losses a day earlier. The RBA lowered its forecast for GDP of 2-3% in the year through June 2015, down from 2.25-3.25% in the May projection. The RBA added that the unemployment rate was likely to “remain elevated for some time”. The RBA statement also took note of the high value of the Australian dollar, which has gained about 6% since February.

Foam mats - EVA interlocking jigsaw mats

Jigsaw mats selling fast

Our latest shipment of EVA jigsaw interlocking gym mats is selling super fast. We have 20mm mats, 30mm mats, and 40mm jigsaw mats, all of which have proven popular with our customers. The mats start from a low price of $15.00 per square meter which is the lowest on the market. The mats are blue and red and come with edging on all four sides.