Garage dojo solution

I'm sick of not being able to use the gym and mats when I want, and I'm sick of the karate guys making them minging with their dirty feet, dragging them to scuff up the edges and storing them wrong.
What's my cheapest viable option for covering concrete that will let me roll with my boys in my own garage? 4x4m is the smallest we use.

Aren't those jigsaw mats pretty cheap?

They do seem a much cheaper option, but it's things like density I'm conserned about. They seem a lot softer than the mats that I'm used to and I'm conserned they'd be like normal gym mats where you feel yourself hitting the concrete because the mat's so soft.

Try here http://www.continentalsports.co.uk/judo/index.html?http://www.continentalsports.co.uk/judo/judo_products_trocellen_mats.html

You need 40mm mats if you are doing throws. The Trocell 40mm laminate jigsaw would be fine. Cost £33 each but then they are only 1mtr square. 2mtrs x 1Mtr Judo mats cost up to £100 each but obviously are twice the area. GeeMats (http://www.fightingfilms.com/acatalog/GEEMAT.html)are the best but others are good and cheaper but you still need 40mm. If you are laying them on a hard floor ie concrete you need a higher density than if you lay them on a wooden or sprung floor. If you also want to use them for stand up sports like Karate then a higher density is better. Most Judo mats come a 1mtr square nowadays but I find they slip apart a lot unless you have a really not slip floor or they are boarded in in some way. Have a look on e bay as there are often cheap second hand mat sets for sale.

Cheers Smiffy

I'm familiar with geemat, and as brilliant as they are, over a grand is far too much. Since even geemat on concrete is flippin' sore, I'm thinking throwing's not going to be for home practise, and ground work will be the focus.
Cannon's Uk Flooring seems to be cheaper for a similar jigsaw product, altough due to a lack of website info, it's hard to compare specs and their advice is likely to be biased.

I trained with a few guys in a church hall in Newcastle when I was up there (as well as Speedy's proper place), those were the jigsaw mats, and although we didn't do throws (more due to lack of mats rather than space), I wouldn't have minded being thrown on to them, and if you're in a garage, how much throwing is actually going on?

A mate and me used to have a simple rolled up matt (not sure what it was) that we rolled out in our lounge of our shared house at uni, even with throws it was fine - barring the lampshade and fireplace! :o)

How big is the garage area without needing to pad the walls also for some proper matches?

It turns out I'm poorer than I realised, and I might be moving in a few months anyway

try your local judo club you may be able to pick up some cheap second hand mats i got some for £10 a piece 2x1 mats

The dojo where i go dont use those jigsaw mats, nor do they use normal mats.

Dont know how to explain this but the mats they use are more like huge, thick and relatively flat punching bags. I think its filled with sand or something similar.