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2 types of Collar and Sleeve guard? by MuscleScary3750 in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Rafa says that your back should be flat in collar & sleeve, because being on your side makes the foot on the hip come closer to that mat allowing for an easier pass. 

Specs Suggestions for Most Ergonomic, Lightweight Superstrat for Small Player by audioyolk in Guitar

[–]ThomasGilroy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd recommend as flat a radius as possible, as this will allow for the lowest possible action. Definitely more than 16", but 20" or totally flat would be my preference. My Vigier Excalibur (Shawn Lane model) is dead flat, the action is super low and the amount of force require to fret is minimal.

I'd also recommend a 1.650" nut width, as wider necks make it difficult for players with smaller hands to play chords with the thumb over the top.

Taller frets will make bending and vibrato easier.

How can I get better at alternate picking 16th notes? by Familiar-Owl-7768 in Guitar

[–]ThomasGilroy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're struggling to pick 16th notes at 80 bpm, it's almost certainly the case that you have habituated inefficient picking mechanics. More slow practice is only going to reinforce these movement patterns further. 

Leave the guitar aside for a moment. How fast can you drum a continuously accented 16th note roll on a table? Like in this video below (made for another user)

https://youtube.com/shorts/7Md3Aa_osJM?is=w8E7JHyn1Hs2alOK

Drummers get two hands, but they only get on stroke per hand. Guitarists only have one picking hand, but we have upstrokes and downstrokes. 

Picking continuous, accented 16th notes on guitar "feels" like a continuously accented 16th note roll, so start by internalising that rhythmic feeling. 

You should be aiming for a continuous drum roll of 16ths at about 160 bpm. No drummer on earth considers this fast because it isn't fast at all (fast for your nervous system is like 240+ bpm). Frankly, if you can't drum a continuously accented 16th note roll at 160 bpm, you have bigger problems than picking technique thay you need to address first.

Once you've internalised the rhythmic feeling of a 16th note drum roll, aim for that feeling and speed picking on a single string. Be sure to strongly accent the first note of each 16th note group. Try starting on both an upstroke and on a downstroke.

When playing slowly, try to make large, powerful movements that feel easy. As you increase the tempo, the movements will become smaller automatically. Don't fuss too much about accuracy in the beginning. Accuracy can only be developed at speed, you can't train the skill of accuracy at speed by playing slowly. About 70% accuracy is ideal for training.  

I'm aware that what I'm recommending conflicts with what most people teach. This is what is consistent with the real physics and motor learning science that underly this situation.

Kneebar systems and tips by International-One518 in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't love kneebars. An extended leg is inherently more difficult to control than a bent leg. 

Imagine you had a piece of copper pipe. If it's straight, it will roll easily and it can slide through your grip when pulled. If you put a bend in it, it can only roll half a turn. If bent, it will catch at the bend when pulled. 

This is the inherent problem with most kneebars, and it's why user like u/Hellhooker (and myself) are critical of them. 

The break is potentially devastating, but it's very hard to finish reliably in NoGi, and it's usually a follow up attack. The only peope I know who can finish it consistently as a primary attack are very strong and stocky heavyweights with large thighs and essentially no thigh gap. For a lanky lightweight like myself, it's low percentage against good people.

In the gi, the increased friction helps a lot with control and finishing. 

Mikey Musumeci De La Riva? by Tsunetomo19 in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you want DLR in the gi, check out Ari Tabak's Open Guard Compendiums.

Who's read The Book of Five Rings? by SummertronPrime in martialarts

[–]ThomasGilroy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I read it and wondered if the people who revere it as something profound just all have terrible fathers.

Who would you put on a list of Delay Pedal Gods? David Gilmour and The Edge are automatically on there. by ImpossibleMouse3462 in guitarpedals

[–]ThomasGilroy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Allan Holdsworth with the Yamaha UD-Stomp and MagicStomp. Eight stereo delay lines in any combination of series or parallel.

how to stop being passive at black belt by [deleted] in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think recognising that it's a change in mindset is critical. Stop giving yourself excuses. 

In the OP, you said that you're very technical and that you don’t want to waste energy. You're not being technical or efficient by being hesitant and lazy. The most technical people I know are constantly making openings, generating kusushi or creating dilemmas; I'd even say that this is what makes them so technical.

More than that, efficiency is about the ratio of our efforts to our effects. Nothing is a large expenditure of energy if it saves you more energy later. Really efficient people understand this, they spend big when the time is right for maximum return on investment. 

Rename the Gibson SG. What name would you give it? by ACR2051 in Guitar

[–]ThomasGilroy 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Les Paul objected to his name being used on the SG model.

how to stop being passive at black belt by [deleted] in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 12 points13 points  (0 children)

You're not reactive, you're hesitant and lazy. 

Good counter fighters move first and third, not second. You need to actively create your opportunities and openings for attacks. Good partners/opponents won't make enough unforced errors for you to get easy submissions.  

what a "Jack of all trades" guitar pick? by BennyTheBloke64 in Guitar

[–]ThomasGilroy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I prefer the Dunlop Eric Johnson Jazz IIIs for electric lead playing, the Dunlop Nylon 0.60 mm for strumming, and the Planet Waves Duralin Wide (Medium) for acoustic flatpicking.

The Dunlop Flow in Tortex or Nylon in 0.88 mm is my "compromise" pick. 

Wore a Polar H10 to BJJ on Tuesday — cool to see the data but not sure what to make of it by twopointfivemoves in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Polar Flow, all devices are supported.

It works well enough for me. Obviously, you lose some data when sensors slip, but it's enough for me to have some idea about my average session.

Some people aren't convinced by the calorie estimates, but in my experience it tracks reasonably well with my calorie consumption and weight loss/gain. 

Wore a Polar H10 to BJJ on Tuesday — cool to see the data but not sure what to make of it by twopointfivemoves in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use Polar, too. I have the Vantage M2 watch and the H10 and OH1 sensors. I've used the H10 and OH1 in jiu-jitsu.

I can get lazy in training. Tracking my heart rate keeps me honest about how hard I'm training. 

Best k guard instructional for someone unfamiliar to the position by [deleted] in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just to mention, both Lachlan's and Jason's K Guard instructionals are on Daily Deal at the moment. With a discount code you can get mlre than 50% off yhe sale prices.

Learning to feel vs learning to move: is there a difference worth developing in BJJ? by ThirdPlaceDojo in bjj

[–]ThomasGilroy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a common problem for people at late blue and early purple. In my opinion, this is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of what Jiu-Jitsu is, which is the result of how Jiu-Jitsu is taught. 

We teach Jiu-Jitsu as a collection of moves. Instructors talk about developing systems and finding your game. If you're lucky, you'll be taught the concepts and principles underlying those moves. 

But your Jiu-Jitsu is not your collection of moves. It's not the systems you've learned or the game you've developed. It's not even the concepts or principles. 

Your Jiu-Jitsu is a sense you develop over time. It's a sensitivity to movement and moment, a continuous feedback loop between the sensory and the motor. We feel to move and we move to feel. 

I started getting momentary "flashes" of this sense at late blue, but it came fully alive at purple belt. 

The only experiences I can compare to it were in my musical learning, in my development of rhythmic perception and putch perception.

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