There’s one move in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) that completely flipped the script on how people grapple and play guard: the De La Riva. It’s all about that signature outside hook: your leg wraps around your opponent’s front leg from the outside, foot sneaking in toward their hip or thigh. That hook gives you instant control over their base and balance.
What started as one skinny dude’s creative solution to fighting off monsters at Carlson Gracie’s gym turned into a staple of modern BJJ. Ricardo de la Riva took an old-school judo idea and built an entire system around it. Today, that system is used by legends like Rafa Mendes, the Miyao brothers, and Caio Terra to sweep, invert, and smoothly take the back.
Why’s this BJJ technique so effective? Because it gives you range, control, and endless options. Whether you’re setting up slick sweeps, spinning under for berimbolos, or locking up sneaky submissions, the De La Riva guard keeps your opponent guessing.
History & Development of De La Riva Guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The De La Riva Guard was born in the 1980s when Ricardo de la Riva, a young, lanky brown belt training under Carlson Gracie, had to figure out how to survive against his gym’s crew of big, skilled fighters. Everyone around him was bigger and stronger, so Ricardo got creative.
Instead of trying to outmuscle them, he started wrapping his leg around the outside of their lead leg and hooking in. That one simple idea gave him the leverage and control he needed to off-balance them, stop their passes, and start sweeping them all over the mat. His training partners joked that it felt like they were standing on pudding, and the “Pudding Guard” quickly evolved into a full-on system.
It didn’t stay a secret for long. In 1986, Ricardo shocked the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world by using his new open guard to beat the legendary Royler Gracie. Over the years, it’s become a must-have in high-level competition, with world champs turning the De La Riva into a highlight reel of sweeps, back takes, and berimbolos.
While it started in the gi, where grips make it especially powerful, modern grapplers have adapted it for no-gi too, using wrist and ankle control to create the same off-balances and transitions.
How to Execute the De La Riva Guard
Whether you’re a beginner learning your first hook or a black belt fine-tuning the details, these are the building blocks of great De La Riva control.
Step 1: Establish Your Grips
Grab your opponent’s sleeve, collar, or belt (in no-gi, go for the wrist or ankle). Use them to control posture, slow them down, and set up your angles.
Step 2: Hook the Outside Leg
Now slide that outside leg around their lead leg and hook in. Keep your foot flexed and active so it’s not just dangling. You want it snug and tight, ready to push, pull, or lift. A deep hook gives you leverage to mess with their balance and stop their pass before it starts.
Step 3: Control Posture With Your Grips and Hips
Use your grips to keep them from standing tall or driving forward. Then, move your hips by scooting, shifting, and angling out. That hip movement gives you space to attack and keeps your guard from getting smashed. Stay tight, keep your core engaged, and stay mobile.
Step 4: Create Angles for Attacks or Sweeps
The De La Riva is all about angles. Once you’ve got your hook and grips, start adjusting to off-balance your opponent. Pull them forward, push them back, or rotate them to the side. Each shift opens up sweeps, back takes, or even submissions if they overcommit.
Step 5: Stay Active and Adjust
This isn’t a lazy guard. Keep your back off the mat, stay seated, and follow their movement. If they switch stance or break a grip, reset and re-hook. The De La Riva guard flows beautifully into other positions like Reverse DLR, X-Guard, or sit-up guard, so stay ready to chain your attacks together.
Variations of De La Riva Guard in BJJ
Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to level up. The De La Riva guard is actually a whole family of positions that give you different tools depending on how your opponent moves. Here are the main variations every grappler should know:
Classic De La Riva Guard
This is the OG, where you hook their lead leg from the outside with your foot while gripping their sleeve, collar, or belt. It’s perfect against a standing opponent, giving you control of their base and posture. From here, you’ve got access to sweeps, back takes, and slick setups like the berimbolo.
Reverse De La Riva Guard
Instead of hooking around the outside, your leg wraps inside their leg. This version shines when your opponent tries to pressure in or knee-cut. It’s a killer guard for no-gi, great for transitioning into leg entanglements, back takes, and re-guards.
De La Riva X Guard
You still use the outside hook, but now your other leg threads underneath their base leg like a mini-X-guard. It locks them down and opens up powerful sweeps and entries to single-leg X or leg locks.
Lasso De La Riva Guard
Add a lasso with your other leg. While your De La Riva hook controls one side, your lasso wraps their arm and locks them in place. This combo gives you crazy control and nasty sweep options, and it’s especially effective in gi when you can hang onto that sleeve.
When to Use the De La Riva Guard
Knowing when to bust out the De La Riva guard is just as important as knowing how to play it. This guard requires the timing to be just right. Here’s when it shines:
Against Standing or Passing Opponents
If your opponent’s on their feet, looking to speed-pass or bullfight your legs, the De La Riva is your best friend. That outside hook stops their movement, controls their base, and gives you the power to off-balance them before they even start their pass.
When Setting Up Sweeps or Submissions
Once you’ve got your grips and angles, you can launch wrestle-ups, trip sweeps, back takes, and even set up submissions like armbars, ankle locks, and triangles. It’s the perfect platform to attack from all sides.
When Transitioning Into Other Guards
Use it to flow into Reverse DLR, X-Guard, Spider Guard, or Sit-Up Guard. If your opponent tries to shake free, you’re already one step ahead, switching to the next position before they know what hit them.
When Defending Against Aggressive Opponents
Your hook and grips create distance and control, making it tough for them to close the gap. You dictate the pace, not them.
How to Improve Your De La Riva Guard
The De La Riva guard rewards reps, timing, and flow. Here’s how to make it sharp, sticky, and unstoppable.
Drill for Better Control and Retention
You can’t attack if you’re always losing the guard. Drill your entries and retention nonstop. Start with partner drills where they try to strip your hook or step over your leg, and your job is to re-hook, reset, and angle out. Work on staying seated, adjusting your hips, and keeping your back off the mat.
Build Grip Strength and Hip Mobility
Your grips and hips are your weapons here. Add grip-breaking circuits, gi pull-ups, or towel holds into your strength work to keep your hands strong through every round. Pair that with hip mobility drills like shrimping, pummeling, and leg pike stretches so you can swing and re-hook with ease.
Integrate DLR Into Your Overall Guard Game
Don’t treat the De La Riva like an island. Flow into it from closed guard, butterfly, or spider, and learn to transition out to X-Guard, sit-up guard, or berimbolo setups. The best players chain it into a full open-guard system that keeps their opponents constantly reacting.
Defense & Counters Against De La Riva Guard
Every great guard has great counters, and if you want to stay one step ahead, you’ve got to know how to shut the De La Riva down before it becomes a problem. Here’s how to kill this move:
- Don’t let them control your sleeves, collar, or ankle. Strip grips early and reset your posture.
- Use your hand or knee rotation to clear their outside hook and shut down
- Drop into a knee cut or smash pass to flatten them out and remove their angles.
- Keep your posture tall and base wide so you don’t get tipped or swept.
- Close the distance to stop them from re-hooking or inverting.
Put Your DLR to the Test
The De La Riva guard is a battle-tested weapon and one of the most powerful open guard positions that’s helped Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters at every level sweep, submit, and dominate. Whether you’re using it to slow down a standing passer, spin under for a berimbolo, or launch a slick wrestle-up, this guard gives you control, creativity, and options.
And if you really want to test your De La Riva under pressure, there’s no better place than the mat. Check out the NAGA event calendar and find a tournament near you!