Tatami

In July 2005 we got our first set of 40 Trocellen^® 1m² interlocking mats giving us an 8m x 5m tatami .

For the chemists and technically minded, the Trocellen^® mats are made of a cross-linked polyethylene foam made from polyolefin resins which gives a lightweight mat making the tatami quick and easy to lay and take up at the start and end of class.
The mats significantly reduce the risk of accidents or injuries thanks to their elasticity and shock absorption capabilities.

These mats interlock securely leaving no gaps to catch toes and the security of the interlocking means that these mats will not drift apart during training. They are anti-slip thanks to the special tatami (rice grain) pattern embossed surface and can easily be wiped clean as they are impermeable to water. Although, at first scrutiny the mats appear to be completely symmetrical, it turns out that they aren't. Fortunately one corner tab is a distinctive 'leaf' shape and the mats can be laid by ensuring that all the mats are aligned with this tab pointing in the same direction. Lifting the mats requires some care. They must not be simply folded back on each other as this may damage the tabs. By pressing down on the joined mat with the foot and lifting a mat by one edge the tabs can be 'unzipped' safely.

The mat size has now doubled and we have a total of 80 1m² mats. This is, in fact more than we can normally fit into the Owen Barnes Room where we train unless it is completely stripped out for the occasion. The mats are stored in tamper-proof locked boxes in a securely locked store.