From the origin of Tatami Mats to today’s uses

What is the origin of Tatami Mats?

Tatami Mats, also often referred to as puzzle flooring, foam mats, interlocking foam mats, among other terms, is a type of flooring widely used in sports. It’s characterized by the way the pieces fit together, like a puzzle. Hence the name “interlocking mats”.

Understanding the origins of modern-day tatami mats means delving into Japanese culture. The interlocking foam mat comes from the traditional Japanese tatami mat, which was once used to cover the floors of bedrooms. Traditional Japanese tatami was made from a type of straw fabric, which served as both a cover and padding, and which gave it one of its main characteristics: its cushioning. In fact, the word “tatami” in Japanese means “folded and stacked.”

Later, traditional Japanese tatami began to be made with other materials, such as expanded polystyrene, although in Japan, tatami made in the old style, with woven straw, is still more commonly used.

The excellent cushioning and padding properties of traditional Japanese tatami made it popular in martial arts.

From here, the traditional tatami used in martial arts has evolved into the current puzzle tatami , with its characteristic way of fitting pieces together to ensure their union and prevent them from separating during sports practice.

Nowadays, puzzle tatami is made from different materials, but the most commonly used and the one with the best performance is the EVA foam puzzle tatami , as it offers many advantages over the rest , such as its great cushioning capacity, its non-slip properties, its great stability, its flexibility and its lightness, among others.

What are the uses of Tatami Mats today?

Although the tatami puzzle mats began to be used in sports, mainly in sports with high projection, such as martial arts, currently the they have many more uses.

It is important to note that the use of tatami mats will determine the thickness we should choose .

And with this assessment, let’s review all the possible uses of tatami mats:

• Martial arts. The main use of tatami mats is for martial arts, where there is a high risk of falling, and puzzle tatami mats offer safety and comfort to the athlete. This is the case in judo, karate, aikido, MMA, hapkido, jiu-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, krav maga, karate, taekwondo, and more.
• Contact sports. This type of flooring is also widely used in contact sports to provide the necessary cushioning and protection for athletes. For example, boxing, kickboxing, full contact, fitness training, self-defense, and more.
• Other sports disciplines. The cushioning provided by the puzzle floor makes it an ideal option for other floor sports such as yoga, Pilates, floor gymnastics, fitness, etc.
• Sports facilities. Tatami mats are also widely used as flooring in all types of sports facilities, such as dance schools, gyms, school sports areas, fitness rooms, etc., providing comfort and safety during use.
• Nursery schools and schools. This type of flooring is also widely used in preschools to cover the areas where children play and learn to walk, thus preventing them from getting hurt when they fall or crawl.
• Public sports facilities. Puzzle flooring is also used in public sports facilities, such as gyms, playrooms, etc. In these cases, tatami creates a comfortable space for all these activities.
• Domestic spaces. The use of tatami mats ate becoming increasingly common in homes, where they are used to create a sports area, cover garages or basements, and even create a children’s play area so children can play comfortably on the floor while protecting them from falls.
• Commercial spaces and businesses. In some commercial spaces, tatami puzzle flooring has also begun to be used as a cushioning element in warehouses and other spaces.