Tried Out a New Dojang This Week

[Gwai Lo Dan]

This week I joined the YMCA, mostly for the TKD which is included. I enjoyed the class which was warmups, stretching, taegeuk 1-8, then kicking with a partner and target. However, the mats had so many "holes" where the jigsaw edges were torn off, leading to 1-3 square inch holes all over the place.

In doing kicking, I would look down to find a good line then try to stay there. At the end of class, we put all the mats away, which explained why so many of the edges were torn off (taking apart mats 300 times a year will damage them, I would guess. In the end, I cancelled my membership since I have previously injured toes and am paranoid about re-injuring them, this time by jamming my toes in a hole in the mat. That's my disappointing TKD story of the week.

Anyone else practice or decline to practice at a dojang with holes in the mats?

 

[jks9199]

Did you tell them why you cancelled? I would think that they could fond a better alternative if they were aware of the problem.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[skribs]

I can understand your aversion based on previous injury. We don't have holy mats at my dojang, but I'd probably be worried if we did.

I can say that in my hapkido class, I go very easy with the techniques (sometimes when I'm told I'm not doing a technique right, it's because I'm holding back for fear of injuring the other party...although 80% of the time it's because I'm doing the technique wrong) because I remember what happened to a friend of mine in wrestling practice a long time ago.

 

[RTKDCMB]

This week I joined the YMCA, mostly for the TKD which is included. I enjoyed the class which was warmups, stretching, taegeuk 1-8, then kicking with a partner and target. However, the mats had so many "holes" where the jigsaw edges were torn off, leading to 1-3 square inch holes all over the place.

In doing kicking, I would look down to find a good line then try to stay there. At the end of class, we put all the mats away, which explained why so many of the edges were torn off (taking apart mats 300 times a year will damage them, I would guess. In the end, I cancelled my membership since I have previously injured toes and am paranoid about re-injuring them, this time by jamming my toes in a hole in the mat. That's my disappointing TKD story of the week.

Anyone else practice or decline to practice at a dojang with holes in the mats?

I think it may be time for some new matts.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Did you tell them why you cancelled?

Indirectly, yes. In cancelling the membership 2 days after joining, the YMCA asked why. I explained that the time slot was late (9-10 pm), and that having to put the mats away afterwards was getting too late for me. (I previously thought I'd rush out at 10 pm and get home shortly). I also talked about the mats, and the worry of injuring myself. I was tempted to say that I didn't think the mats were safe, but I thought a softer touch might be better.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I think it may be time for some new matts.

Figuring that YMCA management looks at feedback forms as to why people cancel, I do hope my comments encourage the YMCA to get earlier times for adults, and to get new mats.

 

[Rumy73]

Figuring that YMCA management looks at feedback forms as to why people cancel, I do hope my comments encourage the YMCA to get earlier times for adults, and to get new mats.

To hell with matts. Wear trainers and have work sans barefoot.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Did you ask the instructor about wearing TKD shoes for class since you've had injured toes and were concerned about the state of the mats before cancelling your Y membership? Seems like that would've been a good thing to do if, as you said, you enjoyed the class.

Regardless, you might consider dropping the instructor an e-mail mentioning your concerns about the wear and tear of the mats since others might get the same kind of injuries you had in the past.

Pax,

Chris

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

No I didn't ask about wearing shoes (although I have a pair) for a few reasons.

First, I noted that the only one wearing shoes was the GM.

Second, I had also severely strained the connective tissue to the front of my ankle a couple years ago by doing a tornado kick in shoes, with my foot sticking to the mat more than I thought and consequently my foot not rotating along with my body. 2 years later, and I still feel it sometime. So I try now not to wear shoes on the mats.

Third, it was getting late with having to put mats away at 10:05pm after class.

Finally, I didn't talk with the GM afterwards since I figured no point being a complainer before I really started.

 

[Rumy73]

No I didn't ask about wearing shoes (although I have a pair) for a few reasons.

First, I noted that the only one wearing shoes was the GM.

Second, I had also severely strained the connective tissue to the front of my ankle a couple years ago by doing a tornado kick in shoes, with my foot sticking to the mat more than I thought and consequently my foot not rotating along with my body. 2 years later, and I still feel it sometime. So I try now not to wear shoes on the mats.

Third, it was getting late with having to put mats away at 10:05pm after class.

Finally, I didn't talk with the GM afterwards since I figured no point being a complainer before I really started.

I know about the danger of tornado kicks in shoes. I do not do them.

I meant to say before, could the class be held without the mats?

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I know about the danger of tornado kicks in shoes. I do not do them.

I meant to say before, could the class be held without the mats?

Personally I agree that no mats are better than uneven mats....although that's not my call, of course.

 

[WaterGal]

I've done demos on mats like that. GM's got a set just for demos, but since we have to move them and assemble and disassemble them over and over, the little nubs get worn off, just like you said. He keeps the broken off bits (when we find them) in a box, so we can usually fill the holes, but it's still always something to watch out for.

I feel like having a padded room would be good for all kinds of athletic activities, not just TKD. It's too bad they can't just leave the mats out.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Anyone else practice or decline to practice at a dojang with holes in the mats?

I'm replying to my own thread.

I ended up joining another club, and met a teenager who broke a toe in the holes in the mats at that first club I tried!

After he broke his toe, he quit that first club and joined this other club that I also happened to join.

 

[evelbug]

Hopefully you are enjoying the new club. At one of the clubs in which I train, we use the gym floor and bring out mats as needed if we are doing anything that requires it.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Hopefully you are enjoying the new club.

All in all, I like it. It's a "kicking, kicking, and more kicking" club, as Manny would say, and I like that. I personally don't find the 1 step sparrings and self defense drills to be useful, so I like spending my time getting better kicks.

Also the club is middle eastern, and not Korean, so the black belt test fee is about 1/2 of the Korean clubs.

 

[TrueJim]

I like kicking, kicking, and more kicking too. At the school I attend, the mats are in good shape, but there are some mats near one wall where the mats over-time have slid a bit away from each other, leaving toe-width gaps between mats. The instructors have tried pushing the matts back against each other, and they've tried filling the gaps, but over time the gaps always return. The good news is, the gaps are off to the side, away from the central area...but they're still annoying because it's a part of the floor that we all know we have to avoid else risk a toe/foot/ankle injury.