Lao Tzu rides a mat

Matitude bending it at the Mat Meet

“…I saw how it bends, flowing with the wind…”

newborn – we are tender and weak
in death – we are rigid and stiff
living plants are supple and yielding
dead branches are dry and brittle
so the hard and unyielding belong to death
and the soft and pliant belong to life
an inflexible army does not triumph
an unbending tree breaks in the wind
thus the rigid and inflexible will surely fail
while the soft and flowing will prevail
From the Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu - chapter 76

Lao Tzu lived in the six century BC
But still, given this excerpt from the Tao Te Ching,
I think that Lao Tzu rides a mat.

If you want a more current take on why mats are so much fun to ride here is George Greenough's take on it



Mr. Greenough knows the advantages of "soft and flowing" too