Mat Thicknesses for Striking vs. Throwing or Ground Martial Arts

WIthin the market of martial arts flooring, there is a range of thicknesses for the mats. Mats for striking arts, such as Karate or Taekwondo, are much thicker than mats that are designed for Grappling or MMA. This is because each discipline needs varying levels of fall protection.

martial arts mat thickness

Generally, unless you are knocked out, you won't be falling much when participating in Karate or Taekwondo. As a rule, thicker mats are designed to absorb more impact from falls and throws.

Karate and Taekwondo training halls need flooring that will reduce impact on joints while jumping or running - as moves within these disciplines are meant to be executed from a standing or upright position,

For martial arts such as BJJ, Judo, Hapkido and Jujitsu, the body-to-floor impact level is significantly increased during the process of throwing and fallings. Because of this, foam flooring for these arts can often be up to twice the thickness of those intended for striking arts. In many cases, studios for the throwing arts will often use landing pads or crash pads during throw training. This adds significantly more cushion to the landing process, which can give needed cushion and forgiveness to beginners just learning to break their falls.

karate mat

High density foam is often the preferred material for martial arts flooring as it provides cushion without losing stability. 1 inch thick mats is commonly considered to be the crossover point between mats for striking and throwing arts.

Between 3/4 inch and 1 inch thick, most high density foam martial arts mats can provide the necessary joint protection for Karate and Taekwondo and are less expensive than the thicker varieties.

If the flooring is going to be used for throwing martial arts, the minimum thickness is 1.25 inches. Mats that are 1.5 inches thick or more are the prefered thickness for proper shock absorption without injury.

mma grappling mats

It is important that the flooring be made of closed cell foam which will not absorb moisture - or covered in a high quality vinyl - and is easy to clean and disinfect. Most foam martial arts flooring of this kind comes in interlocking, puzzle style tiles. The tiles are lightweight and are easy to install and remove. They are often times also reversible.

On the high end of the spectrum are hygienic vinyl covered foam mats. These mats are typically thicker and larger than the puzzle mat variety. They are commonly 1x2 meters in size with straight edges.

martial arts mats

Please note: if an interlocking martial arts puzzle tiles does become damaged at a seam, such as a missing tooth from the edge, the tile should be replace if the flooring is to be used for barefoot training. This is because toes can slip into these holes and become trapped during spins.

quality judo mats for sale

How Much are BJJ Mats?

When building the perfect Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training space, choosing the proper flooring is essential. With many options, customers often ask “How Much are BJJ Mats?”

The answer to that question depends on what you are looking for from your mats - Cushion? Portability? Cleaning? Quality? Home Installation or Commercial?

Below is a listing of the BJJ Mat options that Greatmats, a leading provider of BJJ flooring nationwide, offers.

1. Lowest Price: Judo Mats Interlocking Lite 1.25 Inch

These mats work great for both home and commercial installations and can be found for just over $2 per square foot. This flooring options provides the minimum level of cushion that is necessary to be able to safely practice BJJ, all while at the lowest price possible. The tiles are made of 1.25 inch thick EVA foam and offer a no-burn tatami surface. The reversible puzzle mats are black on one side and gray on the other, allowing you to create clear competition ''rings'' by simply flipping the tiles over. These mats are designed to be non-absorbent, making cleaning and disinfecting them a breeze. Each mat weighs just over 7 pounds and will be shipped via ground or freight delivery.

how much are bjj mats

2. Fall Protection: Grappling MMA Mats 1 5/8 Inch

Greatmats popular Grappling MMA Mats offer all of the same material and benefits of the 1.25 inch mats above while adding in more fall protection and color options at just under $3 per square foot.

These Grappling MMA Mats Mats offer all off the same great benefits that the 1.25 Inch Judo Mats offers, but these mats also include more fall protection and color options while being under $3 per square foot. The 1x1 meter puzzle mats are 1 5/8 inch thick and have five color options. They also offer a 4 foot critical fall height rating for prevention of serious head injuries. These mats are popular for regional and national competitions and are the mat of choice for numerous world champion BJJ coaches and competitors. Customers have reported that these mats are popular choices for use at regional and national competitions. Numerous world champion BJJ coaches and competitors also use these mats. The 9 pound tiles ship via ground or freight delivery.

bjj interlocking mats

3. Tight Spaces: Home MMA BJJ Mats 1-5/8 Inch

The home version of the Greatmats Grappling MMA Mats, these offer all of the same benefits of the aforementioned 1 5/8 inch thick puzzle mats (minus one color option) in a smaller package. These smaller 2x2 tiles allows for them to be used in a smaller workout space without having to waste as much material for wall to wall installation. This mats run just cents more than the Judo Mats Interlocking Lite version of puzzle mat. The downside, if there is one, would be the fact that there are twice as many seams as the 1x1 meter puzzle mats. At 3.6 pounds per tile, they ship via ground or freight delivery, depending on the size of the order. Each tile weighs 3.6 pounds, and these tiles will ship via ground or freight delivery, all depending on the number of tiles ordered.

4. Personal and Portable: Gmats Roll Out Mats

If puzzle mats aren’t ideal for a space and a more portable solution is needed, Gmats Roll Out mats will be the best option. Priced at less than $4 per square foot for a 5x10 foot area, this mat is often offered with free shipping. The mat is 1.25 inches thick, is easy to install and remove quickly, and has no seams. The home rollout BJJ mat is made of a cross-linked polyethylene foam base covered with a tatami-textured vinyl surface. The mat is offered in black and blue color options.

bjj mat

5. International standard: Elite Striking Arts Pro Mat Tatami

These mats are very popular for Karate and Taekwondo. These mats are also approved by the International Judo Federation for top-level competition use. Priced at just over $4 per square foot, the tatami-textured vinyl covered polyethylene foam mats are hand made to the highest European quality standards. Each mat is much heavier than other options, with each 1x2 meter mat weighing 42 pounds. Because of this, shipping options are limited to freight delivery only which can drive up the cost of the BJJ mats. One of the thicker options at 1.5 inches, the mat offers excellent impact absorption while remaining firm enough for standing techniques. These mats are available in five different colors and include an anti-skid bottom surface. Due to this, they are not reversible, but they do come with an industry leading warranty of 5 years.

judo mats price

6. Comfort and Impact Protection: Pro MMA Mats Smooth 1x2 Meter 2 inch

If you like the style of the previous 1x2 meter mats, but are looking for either a smoother surface or more cushion, you'll love the Pro MMA Mats Smooth 1x2 Meter 2 inch mats. These mats are made in the same way at the above Elite Striking Mats, and also carry a similar price per square foot of $4. These tiles also come with the same 5 year warranty, but these tiles offer an extra 1/2 inches of thickness and provide more cushion to athletes as their foam core is slightly less dense. They also feature a smooth vinyl cover that will be less likely to cause skin burns. The 2 inch thick mats are available in black or gray, weigh in at 40 pounds per mat and ship via freight delivery only.

7. Versatility: Gym Mats 5x10 ft x 2 inch 4V 18 oz.

Two inch thick folding gym mats come in at the high end of the price spectrum, but offer the most versatility of any of the BJJ mat varieties. These 5x10 foot mats are just under $6 per square foot and can be used alone or connected to other folding mats with hook and loop connectors strips. These gym mats can also be hung on walls for wall padding. The black- or blue-colored 2-inch-thick, smooth vinyl-covered PE foam BJJ mats offer excellent impact absorption for falls and are reversible.Each mat weighs 36 pounds can can be shipped via either ground or freight delivery.

mma puzzle mats

Any of these mats can be cleaned and disinfected using a damp mop and mild household cleaners.

As described above, there are many factors that go into the process of choosing the best BJJ mats to fit within a room and budget. The cost of BJJ mats includes not only the price per mat or square foot, but also shipping factors and protection. Feel free to explore other similar versions of these mats elsewhere, but keep in mind the quality and protection offered with Greatmats BJJ Mats is second to none. Keep in mind that saving a few dollars and choosing a cheaper product may not be worth the increased risk of injury, or the more frequent need to replace the mats due to their inferior quality. Greatmats' service team is always ready to help you get the right mat with the least hassle.

Professional Martial Arts Puzzle Mats Comparison

There are many differences between the various martial arts flooring options on the market. Martial arts puzzle mats provide comfort and safety to athletes in martial arts training spaces. These tiles are loved by customers due to the ease of installation.

professional puzzle mats

Greatmats offers multiple professional quality puzzle mats custom tailored to meet the needs of several different disciplines of martial arts, including Taekwondo, Karate, Grappling, Judo and MMA.

Each of these mats are 1x1 meter in size with interlocking edges and four border strips attached. The differences between the tiles lies in the varying thickness, foam density, and surface texture between the range of martial arts tile options.

martial arts puzzle mats

Greatmats offers martial arts puzzle tiles ranging from 7/8 inches to 1 5/8 inches thick. The thinner 7/8 inch or 1 inch puzzle mats are designed for striking arts such as taekwondo or karate - where the majority of the training time will be spent on your feet.

1 1/4 inch and 1 5/8 inch thick mats offer greater fall protection and are intended for disciplines heavy in groundwork and throwing. A benefit of the 1 5/8 inch thick Grappling MMA mats is that they feature a four foot critical fall-height rating.

martial arts rubber mats

These durable foam mats range in Shore C densities from 35 to 55. Our EVA foam taekwondo mats fall in a 35-40 density range, offering excellent impact absorption for practicing jumping kicks. With a density of 50, EVA and PE foam karate mats are firmer, and therefore provide solid footing for increased balance.

Our less dense Shore C 35 Judo Lite Mats provide excellent comfort for groundwork. For grappling and throwing that is more aggressive and requires more impact protection, the Shore C 35-40 rated EVA foam is thicker and able to absorb greater impacts.

martial arts mats for sale

The surface texture of martial arts mats takes into account how much contact skin or footwear will have with the surface. A benefit of Taekwondo mats is that they include a thatch texture to resist scuffing from shoes and boots, thereby increasing the durability and lifetime of the mats. The smooth leather texture of our karate mats is easy on bare feet. Our Judo mats and Grappling MMA mats feature a no-burn tatami surface that allows your skin or grip the flooring without causing floor burns.

puzzle mats martial arts

Double Color Martial Arts Mats

Martial arts mats are available in popular color options, including a wood grain design.

Greatmats offers martial arts mats in a range of popular colors, including a wood grain design. Martial arts tiles from Greatmats offer a reversible interlocking design, with double colors , which means each floor tile has two colors, one color on each side of the mat. It allows for two colors to be shown at the same time, allowing for patterns to be made with the mats. The possibilities for customization are endless, from checkerboard flooring patterns to competition rings.

double color martial arts mats

The double color design feature is popular in the martial arts flooring industry. Users can choose to use two colors up at the same time or extend the life of your floor. This unique dual color design feature lets the flooring designer be creative in their layout, further personalizing the look and feel of the room.

double color martial arts mats

Because the tiles are reversible, this means that the tiles can only be installed in one direction, in other words the tiles are not universal and must be laid out with each tile in the same directional orientation. When a tile is cut to fit flush with the edge of the wall, the leftover material cannot be used again in the flooring layout at the interlock won’t correctly fit.

Greatmats' Pro Floor Designer can help determine the number of martial arts flooring tiles needed for an installation, even in the most complex of room designs. Choose from various colors and create your design online, change your design as desired, and make complex room angles to scale.

double color puzzle mats

Differences Among Textures of Martial Arts Mats

martial arts matting textures

Martial arts mats are available in different surface textures. The range of textures include mats that have a tatami surface which is great for MMA, BJJ, grappling, and martial arts styles where ground competition is the primary use. The tatami surface texture on our 1 5/8 inch grappling MMA mats is designed to alleviate ''rug burns'' from the flooring.

tatami texture

For sports with more striking and spinning involved, such as Karate, we recommend a smooth surface as featured on our one inch Karate Mats. This is a durable and agile surface that can accommodate both barefoot and soft shoe use. These martial arts mats are also ideal for Taekwondo.

If the flooring needs to be able to withstand combat training with shoes or boots, Greatmats recommend the more durable MArtial Arts Pro Sport 7/8 Inch flooring.This product is ideal for boxing as well as aerobics and general cardio training. The surface texture on this mat is a thatch design and is very scuff and scratch resistant.

bjj mats

Every flooring option comes with its own unique set of benefits. Martial arts mats from Greatmats are excellent for wall to wall installations. Greatmats also offers crash pads, roll out mats, pole pads, and gym folding mats, making Greatmats a one stop shop for martial art studio and dojo flooring.