Grappling Mats

[shinbushi]

I was wondering if anyone used Zebra mats. I was thinking of putting them in my school and would like any comments on them.

[Aaron Fields]

David,

The dojo in which I teach is putting in all new Zebra judo mats later this month. The sample I got from them was of really good quality. I can only speak on their judo mats and I'll be better able to do that later this month. But, they seem to be very nice.

[Amos Smith]

Greetings,

I think Zebra mats are very good...maybe not great though. Aside from regular training on them, (which is very nice)I've attended 2 separate 3 day (10-5) seminars on Zebra mats, and I think I would prefer something a bit stiffer. They seem to soak up the energy of a fall very well, but after initial compression become stiffer at a very rapid rate...sort of like bottoming out a soft suspension on your car. I think a stiffer mat would solve that and make for a more comfortable workout over the course of several hours or days. Added benifits of a stiffer mat might also be that they stay in place and hold their shape better.

This, of course, is nit picking in the extreme...I'll likely go with Zebra mats in my home, but we'll see.

Amos Smith