Hey all you fellow grapplers, I got a question.

I found these very cheap puzzle mats at Sam's club for much cheaper than your general taekwondo etc. mats. Now, I'm 16 and I train muay thai, bjj, boxing, and wrestling, the money factor is incredible for me. Can anyone give me a reason that these are not as good as any others other than wear and tear?

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/na...Shelf|792076|Util-A-Mat+Reversible+Mat+-+8+pk.

 

I won't worry to much about the wear and tear - if you want something cheap - but what is the thickness? If you rolling you want something thick so you don't hurt yourself...

 

My english teacher owns them currently and she says they seem to be atleast over a half inch, which I feel should be good for me. Arg I am leaving for a bit, perhaps I'll be able to hit this thread later. Thank you very much though.

 

looks more like its designed for little kids to keep from getting scraped knees and stuff.

 

I get that, but like I said, is there a HUGE deciding difference between the two? It is just so much easier for me to run up and spend 40 bucks or so, then 200ish - which is the general price I've found - If anyone knows of any mats close to this price/area ratio, please link

 

The local karate club has them and they are ok for ground fighting. The occaisonal thump but should be fine if for a while. Totally fine for tech and drills.

Tuffer and more absorbent than they look.

About 3/4 inch at this place. Maybe 1/2 tho. Glued down well.

 

Sweet, I figure, at that cost, I can always buy a second layer and glue them together.

 

I dont know if you should do takedowns on those, but starting from your knees i think they should be allright. I read some reviews on these cheap mats, and thats what most people seem to agree on.

 

I usually either keep us standing, or down for 100% sparring. My main issue was I do a lot of teaching other high schoolers and I would like something softer to be teaching takedowns, throws, rolling submissions etc.

 

Those mat are only 12mm thick, if you are going to teach takedowns and throws, have a parent ready to take the broken bodys to the ER. My suggestion is dont practice throws or take downs on your own, leave them for the gym or dojo with proper tatami and a coach or instructor to supervise.

 

If They Are One Inch Thick They Are Fine. We Train All Areas With These Mats In A Very Good Professional Gym. Mat Burns Are The Only Real Problem.

 

Lol, right now we roll on carpet. Carpet=Ouch So anything is better than what I have. It's actually carpet on concrete.

 

I definetly agree and I won't train full on or show the moves on anyone who isn't able to move with me to avoid injury. That being said, I am not sparring with transitions as I said earlier, we stand or we roll. I only need enough padding to show the moves and then allow them to be practiced on me, as I can maneuver my body to avoid "most" injury. I do realize it isn't the best, but my gym is over an hour away and I seldom get to go.

 

An hour away isn't that bad Crank some tunes...

 

Why not get two sets and double layer them? Seems logical to me?

 

your 16 and your training outher people? that might not be a great idea at 16 your skills might not be up to that of a couch and if you train these guys with bad habits it will be that much harder for them later

 

Maybe get some cheap carpet as an underlay for extra padding, with the thinner mats on top. Or - carpet underlay as underlay ....

 

A teenager training his friends on puzzle mats is a recipe for disaster. Assumed risk won't be enough to save you when the inevitable injury occurs and parents are pissed.

Save your money, and have your friends chip in for a carpool group to the gym an hour away. If they can't afford to train, too bad.

If this "club" you've created happens to be in your parent's basement, you are setting them up big-time when somebody bangs hard on your 1/2" padded concrete floor.

 

I have some of the cheaper puzzle mats at home. I double layered it and put thick carpet padding underneath. I've been taken down pretty hard on them on several occasions and it doesn't feel too bad.

 

Try to invest in at least an inch thick. I have those same mats from sams, but those are for my kids to roll on. You can find a good set up for about 400 dollars. Save up it will be worth it. The only pain in the ass is the shipping cost. The best way to do it is go to your gym or any mma school and tell them the next time they order mats you want to place in order and you'll split shipping. It will be a win-win situation.