BJJ Graph

De La Riva Guard

Jun 15, 20257 min read

De La Riva Guard

bjjstateguardopen_guarddlr

State Properties

  • State ID: S013
  • Point Value: 0 (Neutral with offensive options)
  • Position Type: Offensive guard position
  • Risk Level: Medium to High
  • Energy Cost: Medium to High
  • Time Sustainability: Medium

State Description

De La Riva Guard (DLR) is a sophisticated open guard variation where the bottom player hooks the opponent’s lead leg with their outside foot while controlling the ankle or pant with their hand on the same side. The other hand typically controls the opponent’s sleeve or collar, creating a structure that limits the opponent’s mobility and generates powerful sweeping leverage. This guard has become fundamental in modern BJJ, particularly for setting up berimbolo sequences, back takes, and creating connections to other guard systems.

Visual Description

You are on your back in an open guard position, with your outside foot hooking behind the opponent’s lead leg, often wrapping around their knee or thigh, while your same-side hand grips their ankle or pant leg to maintain control and tension. Your other hand secures a grip on their sleeve, collar, or wrist, pulling their upper body down or to the side to disrupt their posture and balance. Your hips are active and slightly off the mat, angled to create leverage and prevent the opponent from squaring up, with your free leg often positioned to block their other hip or ready to push off for sweeps. This setup keeps the opponent, who is typically standing or in a combat base, off-balance and restricted, struggling to pass as you control their movement from an advantageous angle, ready to initiate sweeps or transitions to more dominant positions.

Key Principles

  • Control opponent’s lead leg with both foot hook and hand grip
  • Maintain grip on sleeve/collar to limit opponent’s upper body mobility
  • Create and manipulate angles to off-balance opponent
  • Keep active hip movement to prevent passing
  • Connect upper and lower body controls for complete control
  • Maintain proper distance to prevent opponent from smashing or pressuring

Prerequisites

  • Hip mobility and leg dexterity
  • Understanding of off-balancing mechanics
  • Basic grip fighting fundamentals
  • Adequate hamstring flexibility

State Invariants

  • Outside foot hooking opponent’s lead leg
  • Same-side hand controlling ankle/pant of hooked leg
  • Opposite hand controlling sleeve/collar/wrist
  • Bottom player’s hips active and mobile
  • Off-angle relationship (not squared up) with opponent

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: Emphasizes the importance of maintaining tension in the DLR hook while creating off-balancing leverage. Focuses on systematic connections to leg entanglements and X-guard variations rather than traditional berimbolo sequences. Creates clear defensive hierarchies when the position is threatened.
  • Gordon Ryan: Uses DLR primarily as a transitional position leading to leg entanglements or back exposures. Emphasizes precise angle adjustment with subtle hip movements, often creating “false retreats” that bait opponents into overcommitting to passes, setting up counters.
  • Eddie Bravo: Incorporates DLR principles into the 10th Planet system, but with unique grip configurations that don’t rely on the gi. Focuses on combining rubber guard principles with leg positioning from DLR to create hybrid positions and unconventional control patterns.

Common Errors

  • Error: Passive hook placement
    • Consequence: Leads to easy disengagement by the opponent, as a loose or inactive hook fails to control their leg effectively.
    • Correction: Maintain active tension in the DLR hook, ensuring your foot is securely wrapped around their knee or thigh.
  • Error: Poor distance management
    • Consequence: Results in vulnerability to pressure passing, as being too close or too far allows the opponent to smash or disengage.
    • Correction: Keep proper distance by adjusting your hips and using your free leg to block or push, maintaining an off-angle position.
  • Error: Overcommitment to single attack
    • Consequence: Creates predictable patterns, making it easier for the opponent to anticipate and counter your primary move.
    • Correction: Vary your attacks, chaining sweeps and transitions to keep the opponent guessing and off-balance.
  • Error: Losing sleeve/collar control
    • Consequence: Leads to compromised upper body control, allowing the opponent to posture up and initiate passes.
    • Correction: Secure a strong grip on their sleeve or collar, pulling down to disrupt their posture and maintain control.
  • Error: Static hip positioning
    • Consequence: Results in reduced defensive capability, as immobile hips limit your ability to adjust angles or react to passes.
    • Correction: Keep your hips active and mobile, constantly shifting to create leverage and prevent the opponent from squaring up.

Training Drills

  • DLR Hook Placement and Tension: Practice DLR hook placement and tension drills, focusing on securing the opponent’s lead leg with active control.
  • Grip Fighting Sequences: Work on grip fighting sequences for establishing control, ensuring strong sleeve or collar grips to disrupt posture.
  • Transition Flows: Drill transition flows between DLR and related guards like X-Guard or Reverse DLR, ensuring smooth movement.

Decision Tree

If opponent stands tall with weight on back foot:

Else if opponent drives forward with pressure:

Else if opponent shifts weight to hooked leg:

Else if opponent tries to disengage the hook:

Position Metrics

  • Position Retention Rate: Beginner 50%, Intermediate 65%, Advanced 75%
  • Advancement Probability: Beginner 40%, Intermediate 55%, Advanced 70%
  • Escape Probability: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 25%, Advanced 15%
  • Sweep Probability: Beginner 30%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 60%
  • Back Take Probability: Beginner 20%, Intermediate 35%, Advanced 50%
  • Average Time in Position: 30-60 seconds

Optimal Paths

Back-taking path: De La Riva Guard → Berimbolo → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Leg lock-oriented path: De La Riva Guard → DLR to Single Leg X → Single Leg X Guard → Ashi Garami → Inside Heel Hook → Won by Submission

Traditional sweep path: De La Riva Guard → DLR Basic Sweep → Side Control Top → Mount → Arm Triangle → Won by Submission

Computer Science Analogy

De La Riva Guard functions as a versatile routing node in the BJJ state graph with multiple weighted edges to different advantageous states. Its connectivity to both conventional positional paths and modern leg lock/back attack systems makes it a strategic vertex with high decision-tree branching factor, allowing tactical flexibility based on opponent responses.

Graph View

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