Anyone using tatami mats?

Hello all,

I've looked back at all the threads relevant to finding tatami mats and thank all those who contributed. I've deceided to go after real tatami mats (as opposed to tatami textured mats) from www.tatamiroom.com.

My question is: Are there any folks out there using tatami mats? And if so, what has been your experience and what kind of maintaince do they require?

,

- Jody

Experience for living or for a dojo? For trainining on? Or for hang around spaces?

Hi Jody,

We have some real tatami mats at home (not for aikido) and they are very hard. I've never rolled on them, but they certainly don't invite me to either. As far as care; they have been pretty carefree for about 4 years now, but then again, they are not in a damp space.

best wishes,

Rachel

My sensei says that when he visited Japan and trained at the Aikikai Hombu he left bloody chunks of his feet on the tatami from the suwari-waza. I seem to remember him telling me they were pretty hard and unforgiving too.

Bronson

When they get older and you take a hard fall a bunch of dust gets kicked up too. It's pretty nasty. Tatami for training on isn't really that good. We got rid of ours a long time ago.

We use tatami mats, and they're great. They're not too soft. They're easy to clean and they have long life, so you don't need to buy new ones all the time.

/Patrik

Bronson Diffin (Bronson) wrote: My sensei says that when he visited Japan and trained at the Aikikai Hombu he left bloody chunks of his feet on the tatami from the suwari-waza. I seem to remember him telling me they were pretty hard and unforgiving too.

Heh. I have to say that I wasn't used to doing suwariwaza on "chunky" tatami like they have at Aikikai Hombu dojo, too. My knees were sore for a bit afterwards...

-- Jun

We use tatami in our dojo. They've lasted a very long time (approx 15 years so far). They do need to be refaced but the tatami itself is in generally good condition. Due to their age our tatami is a little softer so ukemi is not difficult. I've trained in Fukuoka at several of Suganuma Sensei's dojo and he has very new tatami. Rock hard and unforgiving to say the least but that is what everyone there is used to so...., if you don't have anything to compare training on tatami to it's "relative".

Regards,

Russ

I recall that Bill Gleason sensei's dojo in Brookline, MA had tatami the one time I practiced there. The worst part about that practice was taking a breakfall and my hipbone landing smack on the wooden edges of two tatami. Ouch!

Gene