Everyone who has ever practiced martial arts should know what tatami is. Tatami is an elastic carpet on which it is convenient to engage in various types of martial arts. It is intended primarily for the convenience of fighters. It is also used for various exercises performed on it, and for sparring.
An elastic carpet is more comfortable than a mat, as it is strong enough, and it is more convenient to stand on it or perform various sports exercises than on a mat. Of course, the mat is softer and falling on it will be less painful, but elastic carpets are in great demand due to the fact that they are comfortable for training and also protect athletes from injuries.
At the moment there are several different types of tatami, photo which you can see below.
Tatami used in sumo battles
Tatami are mats that make safer battles for sumo fighters. In this sport, throws are quite often performed, which must be performed on the tatami, so as not to get serious damage. This type of tatami, the photo of which is shown above, is a specially designed carpet for sumo wrestlers that has a round shape, or a circle should be drawn on it, since the main task of the sumoist is to make the opponent touch any part of the body of the area outside the drawn circle.
Sumo wrestling
In historical times, fights of fighters were considered not sports, but religious. They were always accompanied by various dances, singing or prayers. Such fights were held in Japan annually and were not limited by any rules. Only after some time, sumo was recognized as a sport, and some rules were drawn up. Tournaments began to lose their religious themes and, thanks to the emperor’s personal assistance, Sumo was not forgotten in the development of sports, but developed into a martial art. In other countries, a large number of people are fans of this type of martial arts.
Tatami dovetail
This species is also one of the popular types of elastic carpets. It is used in various martial arts and differs from the tatami sumo wrestler.
Also quite often this entire carpet is covered with this elastic carpet - for the convenience of visitors. This tatami model is an elastic square-shaped carpet that has various grip on the edges. Thanks to them, you can couple several pieces of carpets together and make a path convenient for your room or a ring for tournaments or competitions. This model is often used in martial arts, such as taekwondo, combat sambo, or various mixed martial arts.
Tatami are carpets that can be of different colors, which will help to make your gym more pleasant to look at, or create some kind of carpet pattern on the gym floor covered with an elastic dovetail carpet.
Tatami for the hall
Also, the carpet described above is the most common type of tatami for karate. Due to the high strength and elasticity of the carpet, karatekas who fight on this tatami will be able to conveniently move along it, as well as perform various throws and fall on it without receiving serious damage. The dovetail tatami is quite easy to install, you just need to lay out the carpets in accordance with the color or shape convenient for you, and connect them together. This type of mat is unique and suitable for almost all martial arts, so it is used in many martial arts. Also, quite often this mat is installed in the halls where children are engaged, so that they can comfortably engage in an interesting type of martial art for them .
Homemade tatami
They are quite common in Japan. These are elastic carpets that lie on the floor. They give residents of the house in which the tatami lie many positive emotions. Elastic and comfortable carpets laid in the apartments create a unique and interesting interior in the house. As you know, tea ceremony is common in Japan. Thanks to the mats that are installed in the apartment or house, it is possible to organize a tea party according to all Japanese customs, sitting on a comfortable soft floor - on the tatami. And also, thanks to the mat material, the floor will be warmer and more comfortable for holding a tea ceremony.
Composition of Home Tatami
In Japan there are many different options for elastic carpets. The quality and price of the mat depend directly on the material from which it is made.
The most common carpets are made from rice straw, and this material is sometimes combined with others to increase the strength or elasticity of the carpet.
Often, if residents want to insulate the floor, in addition to the basics of rice straw, a building heat insulator or plastic is added to the mat. When the mat base is ready, it is covered with a cloth.
Often used tatamiomote tissue. It is made from dried river reed and igus. The harvest of this reed is sorted and processed. It is dried, formed by size, and also washed. If required, the river reeds of the igus are painted in the desired color, so that the tatami can be in a variety of interesting colors. When the reeds of the igus were processed and all the necessary procedures were performed with them, they make fabric from it, which is used as a cover for the tatami base.
There are several options for tatami, among them - budget and expensive. Japanese residents who lay tatami in their house often turn to masters, so when buying ready-made mats, they may not fit the size of the room.