Tatami omote

för tameshigiri

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Pris 36 kr per st inkl moms, exl frakt.

Minsta order 30 st (inom Sverige)

What is Tatami Omote?
Most of the homes in Japan still have a tatami room. Though the rooms vary in size and furnishings, all of them have one thing in common. They all use the traditional rice straw floormats, which are about two inches thick, called tatami mats. Tatami omote is the thin outer covering that is sewn onto the thick rice straw base of the tatami mat. When the cover wears out it is replaced with new tatami omote. The used tatami omote has become the target of choice for tameshigiri in Japan, and the United States.
Tatami omote is not made of rice straw as many people might think. It is made from the stems of a soft rush (juncus effusus) that grows in wetland areas. The stems are collected, cleaned, dried, and tightly woven to make a thin, soft mat. The choice of this traditional material over other materials to make targets for tameshigiri offers an important benefit. Mats made from other, more coarse materials, can scratch the polish on a sword or dull the cutting edge. The ground-in dirt that is found in used mats can also act as a fine abrasive when cutting. Mugen Dachi mats are brand new, have never been used, and do not pose an increased risk for scratching your sword.

Tatami omote is divided by quality into four grades. The highest grade is tokutokujo, next is tokujo, then jo, and lastly the nami grade. The tokutokujo mats are most frequently used in shrines, temples, government buildings, and homes of the very wealthy. The tokujo and jo grade mats are the ones most commonly found in everyday use.

Most people who have done tameshigiri with rolled tatami omote have probably used the worn out pieces of the tokujo and jo grades. One problem with the used tatami is that you never know what grade of mat you will get, or wheteher or not you will get mats that are lightly used or ones that are almost worn through. The bigger problem with used tatami is the leftover grit which can scratch your sword. The tatami omote we provide is the nami grade. The quality of the new nami mats we offer is very similar in cutting density to the majority of the lightly worn used mats we have practiced with over the years. One big advantage in using our tatami omote is that the targets will consistently cut the same, because the quality of the mats does not vary. The mats are very clean to work with when rolling targets and they soak up water very quickly. Our nami grade mats provide an excellent combination of high quality, low cost, and good availability. What Makes Good Tatami Omote?

The two things that have the greatest impact on whether or not tatami omote will be any good for tameshigiri targets are the quality of the rush that is used, and how tightly the reeds are woven together. The higher quality mats are made from rush that is more mature and is thicker. The thicker reeds will take the constant abuse of being walked on for a much longer period of time. The lower quality mats are made from the younger, thinner, plants. This type of mat is ideal for tameshigiri because the reeds are thick enough to give the target good density and stiffness, but not so thick that they pose an increased risk of scratching a swords polish or prematurely dulling the edge.

After the crop is harvested all of the rush is divided into different "grades" based on criteria such as thickness, color, and condition. The thickest and most consistent rush is woven into the tokutokujo grade mats. The next highest quality rush is woven into the tokujo grade mats, and so on down the line. Some manufacturer's lay the reed side-by-side. Other manufacturer's will overlap the reeds slightly to make a thicker, more robust mat. This second method produces a nice quality mat even with the lower grade rush.
The tightness of the stitching is very important. If the stitching is loose then the mat will be too flexible. This is not so bad if the tatami omote will be used on a tatami mat where it is bound on the edges. However, if the tatami omote will be used for tameshigiri it will not be stiff enough and will usually bend over when a cut is attempted.

The mats that are made for the Mugen Dachi Company are made from hand-sorted, selected materials, and assembled to our requirements. We only use the rush material that is young and soft, and poses no increased risk of scratching your sword. Our supplier then uses an overlapping construction and tight weaving to produce the best quality tatami omote at the lowest possible prices.

Know What You Are Getting! Some Important Definitions.
Several different types of mats are on the market now and the terms used to describe them are usually less than helpful and are sometimes rather confusing. Always ask what kind of mat and cutting material you are getting before you buy. If you want Traditional Tatami Omote then buy from Mugen Dachi with confidence.

Here are some definitions to help sort things out:
Tatami Mat: refers to a 2 inch thick mat that measures roughly 1 meter by 2 meters, and is used as a special flooring in Japanese homes, shrines, etc.
Tatami Omote: means "tatami exterior" and is any woven mat that is actually USED as the covering on a tatami mat. Beach mats are not tatami omote because they were never designed to be used as the cover on a tatami mat.
Goza: literally means "reed carpet, or mat" and generically refers to any of the woven mats that are made from reeds, grass or straw materials. Tatami omote is goza, so are beach mats, so are some woven placemats, floormats, and window coverings.
Igusa: the common word for juncus effusus, the rush material that is used to make traditional tatami omote. The word "igusa" is also used to describe mats that are made from rush materials.
Wara: means straw.

The table below lists the most common types of tatami omote and how they compare relative to each other. It is not a comprehensive list of all mats. The information shown is based on our experience doing tameshigiri over the years and from working with our supplier in Japan. Your mileage may vary.

As a reference for people who are familiar with beach mat makiwara; a target made from three or four beach mats is similar to a target made from one Mugen Dachi mat, a target made from four or five beach mats is similar to a target made from one piece of lightly used tokujo or jo grade tatami.

Our mats measure 35" by 70" and are brand new, not used. This unique feature assures you that each and every mat will consistently cut the same, target after target. We only use the traditional rush material that is young, soft, and poses no increased risk of scratching your sword. These tatami roll very cleanly because they have no embedded dirt and they soak up water very quickly. Another benefit of using our new mats is that, if you choose, you can make two targets from each tatami mat. Dropping your costs below $1.50 per target, making tameshigiri even more affordable. Don’t confuse our tatami omote with the thinner, more flimsy mats being sold for tameshigiri, beach mats, or rough, coarsely woven mats which may scratch the polish on your sword. Our tatami omote is the traditional covering used in Japan and purchased from a Japanese company. These are the same size and type of mat that is being used in tameshigiri competitions in Japan and in the United States. A target made from one piece of our tatami omote is equal to three or four beach mats rolled together.

First you must decide whether you will be making a half, full, or multiple mat target. We have found that for most of our tameshigiri we prefer to use targets made from a half-mat. The thinner targets show us more about the quality of our cutting angle (hasuji), because they bend slightly if the angle is not correct. Full targets are less frustrating to use, but if you want to see your mistakes, half-targets will tell you more. An added plus is that you can do twice as much cutting (or spend half as much money).
As a reference for people who have used beach mats for tameshigiri; a target made from a half-sheet of our tatami is about 30% stiffer than a target made from one full beach mat. A target made from one piece of our tatami omote is equal to three or four beach mats rolled together.
For horizontal targets (dotangiri) we recommend the standard practice of using one full piece of tatami omote.

For checking the power of your tameshigiri we recommend two or more full pieces of tatami omote rolled together to make one target.

Please Note: We do not recommend the practice of using a piece of bamboo or dowel through the center of the target. Serious damage to your sword can occur if you are not familiar with cutting hard materials.
Caution: Please make sure that the area where you roll your targets is completely free of dirt, rocks, or other hard materials. If one grain of sand is rolled into your target and your sword strikes it, you will scratch the polish, dull the edge, or both. One advantage to our new tatami omote is that you don't have to check for staples. Always shake out the tatami omote before you roll a target whether it is new or used. Make sure to check for staples if the mats are used.
We normally practice with a cutting stand that has a 1 inch diameter dowel which extends 3 to 4 inches into the base of the target.

The method for rolling a target is the same no matter what size mat you use.

1) Take your half, full, or double/triple mat and lay it flat on the floor.
2) Fold 1/2 of the mat back on itself and flatten the fold with your hand or a wooden dowel. Make this fold as flat as you can.
3) Using the peg that fits your cutting stand, start to roll the folded end of the target, around the peg, towards the unfolded end. Keep the mat rolled onto the peg as tightly as possible.
4) When you have rolled the mat to the end of the folded section, grab the opposite edge and fold the second half back on itself until the ends almost touch each other. Do not overlap the ends and do not flatten out the second fold yet. Note: this second fold helps to keep "rooster tails" from occurring. For targets made with two or more mats do not make this second fold, continue with step 5.
5) Continue rolling the mat until you have no more mat to roll, at this point, with the mat rolled as far as possible, you can flatten out the second fold. For targets made with two or more mats you will not have the second fold.
6) The peg should slide in and out of the target with a little resistance, but should not fall out on its own. You should be able to pull it out with just your thumb and finger. If the peg is too loose you can tighten up the target by rolling it like wrapping paper. If the peg is too tight you can loosen up the target by rotating the peg and working the tatami around the other way.
7) Tie a string approximately 2 inches from the end of the target, start with the end that has the peg in it. Now you can remove the peg and use it to repeat the process at the other end. Be sure to check the tightness of the peg at the second end. With the two ends tied, you can tie another string around the center of the target. For a more traditional look you can tie the target in two more places, between the center tie and each of the end ties. Heavy-Duty rubber bands (like the ones on your Sunday paper) will work almost as well as the string ties. Remember to remove the peg!
8) When it is dark green our tatami omote draws up water very quickly, 4 to 6 hours should be sufficient minimum time for soaking if the targets are fully immersed. As the tatami ages the color lightens and the targets may require longer soaking times. Increased soaking time will not hurt the tatami andwill make softer targets. Multiple mat targets should be soaked for 12 to 24 hours, or longer, depending on the number of mats used. Stand the targets up vertically for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting to drain off excess water.