Home BJJ gym setup

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

Howdy f16!

I am moving into a new home and it has room for a basement gym! I am thrilled about this as you can imagine. I've been waiting a long time and could use some advice from anyone who has done this before.

The space is 10' X20'. I only have about 8' of clearance. I reckon it is still good enough for BJJ, for teaching my kids, drilling with a friend and some rolling maybe.

Does that seem big enough to you?

I am also looking for ideas about mat configuration, subflooring, etc.

I have a line on some tatamis. Let's say I can get 10 in like-new condition for under $1K and that it's within my budget. The most I can get in that space is 9, in a configuration that is 18' X 9'.

One thing I am concerned about is water and condensation. The basement is supposed to be dry, but in Nova Scotia there is almost no such thing as a dry basement and this is a 100 year old house.

I was thinking of making a plywood subfloor on cubes of foam. I have seen videos online. I reckon this is easy to clean if need be and the cubes and subfloor will keep the mats up off any water on the floor.

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[nomilkforsanta]

Howdy f16!

I am moving into a new home and it has room for a basement gym! I am thrilled about this as you can imagine. I've been waiting a long time and could use some advice from anyone who has done this before.

The space is 10' X20'. I only have about 8' of clearance. I reckon it is still good enough for BJJ, for teaching my kids, drilling with a friend and some rolling maybe.

Does that seem big enough to you?

I am also looking for ideas about mat configuration, subflooring, etc.

I have a line on some tatamis. Let's say I can get 10 in like-new condition for under $1K and that it's within my budget. The most I can get in that space is 9, in a configuration that is 18' X 9'.

One thing I am concerned about is water and condensation. The basement is supposed to be dry, but in Nova Scotia there is almost no such thing as a dry basement and this is a 100 year old house.

I was thinking of making a plywood subfloor on cubes of foam. I have seen videos online. I reckon this is easy to clean if need be and the cubes and subfloor will keep the mats up off any water on the floor.

Anyone have experience with this?

I would think about leaving an exposed boarder around the mats/subfloor so it could dry out and have good air flow. Or possibly drill holes in the sub floor and remove a few mats after training...If you are thinking about wall pads take them down each night and dry everything off after each session.

When you order the mats, make sure you get the current generation with the welded bottoms.

On a side note, how big is Buck 65 in Nova Soctia?

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

Good ideas. I don't think it's going to be so wet that I have to dry things out each week. I more just wanted something that could flip up.

I think some sort of border is a good idea, just so I can get around it for cleaning, etc.

Buck is big here, but it's hard to be famous in your hometown. I actually know him. Not particularly well, but well enough that if I saw him on the street we would stop and chat.

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

This is what i am thinking for a subfloor. I think there is great advantage in keeping the plywood off the floor for moisture and impact reasons.

There's isn't enough clearance for me to do much judo down there, but it is reasonable to expect that the kids might:

http://youtu.be/yzLnsk_HIQY

 

[nomilkforsanta]

If you are not doing judo, there is no point for a subfloor. Every BJJ/Judo school I have attended had mats on concrete with no subfloor (from AKA to SJSU Judo). When I had my garage matted I put down plastic and carpet under my swain mats.

If you are having kids grapple on it, I would make some wall mats. They could even slide in-between the permitter of the subfloor/matted area.


*6:30

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

You are probably right. I just wanted it to be deluxe, because I have trained on some sprung floors and they are terrific.

Another consideration is that the foam people use for the subfloor turns out to be 3X as expensive here as in the USA (based on videos I have seen vs local quote.)

If I just put down plastic sheeting and a carpet, would the friction form the carpet be enough to keep the tatami in place?

i am considering the wall mats, especially since i am saving money on the subfloor.

 

[nomilkforsanta]

You are probably right. I just wanted it to be deluxe, because I have trained on some sprung floors and they are terrific.

Another consideration is that the foam people use for the subfloor turns out to be 3X as expensive here as in the USA (based on videos I have seen vs local quote.)

If I just put down plastic sheeting and a carpet, would the friction form the carpet be enough to keep the tatami in place?

i am considering the wall mats, especially since i am saving money on the subfloor.

old school subfloors were made with used tired of the same thickness.

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

I have seen those, but ceiling clearance is an issue.

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

I don't think it's that big of a deal to have the mats air out from underneath, they aren't mattresses and aren't permeable. (unless you're in a flood prone area)

Wall mats are a must. I would hook them up to plywood, because otherwise you're dry wall is going to get beat up

 

[nomilkforsanta]

I don't think it's that big of a deal to have the mats air out from underneath, they aren't mattresses and aren't permeable. (unless you're in a flood prone area)

Wall mats are a must. I would hook them up to plywood, because otherwise you're dry wall is going to get beat up

He is already having moisture issues in his basement and unless he airs out the mats they will be a breading ground for mold. This happened to me in my old Wisconsin basement with puzzle and horse stall mats..

Most older houses do not have dry-walled basements, they have bare cement or brick & concrete walls. Are you recommending him to double up on the wood, because all of the wall pads I have installed have had wooden backs (i.e., wood on wall +wood on the wall pads).

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

He is already having moisture issues in his basement and unless he airs out the mats they will be a breading ground for mold. This happened to me in my old Wisconsin basement with puzzle and horse stall mats..

Most older houses do not have dry-walled basements, they have bare cement or brick & concrete walls. Are you recommending him to double up on the wood, because all of the wall pads I have installed have had wooden backs (i.e., wood on wall +wood on the wall pads).

Our gym has flooded a couple times and our mats lie on concrete. No mold at all, I don't think the foam in mats are very susceptible. But, this is in middle of the desert so it could be entirely possible mold spores aren't around to grow.

Doubling up, to save the dry wall. If its cement it's not as important, our last gym we just hooked the mats up with liquid nail straight to the cinderblock

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

Thanks guys!

I am going to make wall mats a la Gracie academy mat method.

The basement walls rubble/concrete. The house is about 100 years old.

The current owner says the basement is dry, but I never totally believe that around here. also, it the air is generally quite moist as we are literally just blocks from the Atlantic.

We take possession Friday and can pick up the mats this weekend. I'll post pics.