On This Page
Editorial Standards
Reviewed by the BJJ Sportswear Editorial Team for technical accuracy and kept current.
De La Riva Guard: Sweeps, Berimbolo & Back Takes
De la riva guard breaks your opponent's posture forward and sideways at once. That combination makes standing passes very hard.
What De La Riva Guard Is
De la riva guard uses an outside hook behind your opponent's knee. Your other hand controls their ankle or sleeve. Ricardo de la Riva developed it in the 1980s. It became one of the most important open guards in modern BJJ.
The guard works by breaking your opponent's posture forward and sideways at the same time. That combination makes standing passes very hard.
Setting the Hook
- Sit on your hip facing your standing opponent.
- Wrap your outside leg around their lead leg, hooking behind the knee.
- Grab their same-side ankle with your hand.
- Place your free foot on their hip or bicep for distance control.
The ankle grip matters as much as the hook. Without it, they can simply step back and free the leg.
What You Can Attack
- The toreando sweep, off-balancing them forward.
- The berimbolo, spinning under to take the back.
- Standard sweeps to top position when they resist the spin.
Rafa Mendes and Mikey Musumeci built championship careers on this guard system.
Reverse De La Riva
Reverse de la riva hooks the inside of their leg instead of the outside. It works better against knee-cut passes. Many guard players use both, switching between them as their opponent changes angles.
Common Mistakes
- Hooking without controlling the ankle, which lets them step free.
- Sitting flat instead of staying on your hip.
- Letting them break your grips before you commit to an attack.
Our berimbolo guide covers the most famous attack from this position.
Tagged with:#de la riva#open guard#sweeps
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my de la riva hook keep slipping off?
Almost always because you are not controlling the ankle with your hand. The hook alone does not stop your opponent from stepping back. The ankle grip is what locks the position.
What is the difference between de la riva and reverse de la riva?
De la riva hooks the outside of your opponent's leg. Reverse de la riva hooks the inside, which defends better against knee-cut passes. Most guard players learn both.
Does de la riva guard work in no-gi?
Yes. You lose the ankle grip fabric but the hook and hand control still work with wrist and shin control instead.
Is de la riva guard good for beginners?
It rewards flexible hips and grip fighting more than raw fundamentals, so most academies introduce it after closed and butterfly guard, around blue belt.
Sources & Further Reading
About the Author
Mohsin AyubBJJ practitioner, 6 years — Gracie Barra
Founder & Editor, BJJ Sportswear
Mohsin has trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for six years at Gracie Barra and has competed at IBJJF-affiliated tournaments. He writes about competition, gear, and athlete careers, and founded BJJ Sportswear to help grapplers find equipment and information they can trust.
- Six years training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie Barra
- Competed at IBJJF-affiliated tournaments
- Writes on BJJ competition, gear testing, and athlete careers
This article was last reviewed and updated on 2026-08-01.