There are some sports or physical activities in the world today that don’t call for any balls or specialized gear such as tennis racquets or hockey sticks. Instead, gymnastics and martial arts such as karate or judo call for gymnastics pads, foam floor tiles, crash mats, and the like so the performers don’t suffer serious injuries. These gymnastics pads are all over the place and vary in size and shape, but the basic idea is the same: provide a cushioned surface where a person will safely land without suffering bone fractures, concussions, or nasty bruising. These gymnastics pads are simple to use and store, and don’t even require assembly or electricity to use. What is more, their repair is fairly easy too, and there are simple ways to keep them safe from harm.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a broad field of physical activity, usually performed by women and girls, that often involves rolling and tumbling, landing on one’s feet, leaping, and more. Thus, gymnastics pads will be deployed everywhere where the gymnast might go, so that they (probably she) will land on them either by design or by accident. It is unsafe to have bare concrete or wooden floors for practice or a real session, as the gymnast may suffer bone fractures, concussions, or maybe even worse. Many high schools have their own gymnastics teams, and students on that team will practice in the school’s gym and deploy some gymnastics pads. Those mats might even have the school’s own logo or emblem on them to mark who they belong to. They might be used alongside gymnastic wedges, or “cheese” mats, which offer an inclined plane for specialized practice sessions. Such mats may be stored easily in a closet near the gym.
Martial Arts and Combat Training
It is standard for gymnasts to make use of these gymnastics pads, but they aren’t alone in using shock-absorbent surfaces. Many police academies, military training fields, and martial arts schools or classes will also use them, and for much the same reason. During such activities, people may be thrown or grappled to the floor, knocked down, or anything else. Even a tough, muscle-bound man training in the military might suffer bone fractures or a concussion if he falls on a hard wooden or concrete floor. And the training instructor would certainly be unhappy if a cadet or trainee loses practice time due to an injury. These fields may also make use of padded shields that a person can hold up, while their sparring partner may punch, kick, or otherwise strike those pads. This keeps both people safe from impacts and reduces the odds of injuries. Training boxers may use them, too, and such pads and floor mats can also be used for self defense classes. Shock-absorbent surfaces may expand to soft dirt outside or pools of water for military training, along with indoor floor mats. All of these will prevent hard falls that may injure a police officer or soldier in training.
Martial arts are popular in the United States as a form of exercise or novelty, and whether someone is a karate trainee or expert headed to a tournament, that person needs a soft surface to train on. Fitness clubs may offer martial arts classes, and set out padded mats on the floor. Some martial arts schools may lay down a series of interlocking padded pieces that fit together like puzzles pieces, covering as much area as needed. They may even have a wood floor pattern printed on the top.
Mat Protection
These mats themselves may need some protection, too. For one thing, no one should bring any sharp objects or hard-soled shoes near the mats, or else those items may tear holes in the mats. Such torn up fabric may pose a tripping hazard, and further use of the mat may widen the rip. Rips should be sewn up at once. Meanwhile, no food or drinks should be brought near the mat, or spilled materials might stain them. And while some people do this, no one should park a car on floor mats to catch the oil drips, since floor mats are not designed to endure the massive weight of a car or truck.
