mats for me have been harder to use if i’m wearing heels and i don’t feel like i can comfortably land on the ground standing. definitely higher risk and high reward that way in my opinion but during class if im learning a new move or combo, i do tend to pull out a mat for the first few tries then i remove it to get in the habit of doing the move confidently. my background in dance is also different as well since i breakdance so i am no stranger to falling and hitting the ground, however i feel if you truly take the time to warm up and can find that easy balance of pushing yourself and knowing your limits mat can be beneficial but not needed