De La Riva Guard Bottom is one of the most dynamic and versatile open guard positions in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Named after Ricardo De La Riva who revolutionized its use in the 1980s, this position is characterized by the bottom player hooking their opponent’s leg from the outside while controlling the opposite sleeve or collar. The De La Riva hook, created by threading your leg around the outside of your opponent’s near leg and hooking behind their knee, creates powerful off-balancing opportunities and serves as the foundation for numerous sweeps, back takes, and leg entanglements.
This position excels at disrupting your opponent’s base and posture, making it difficult for them to establish effective pressure or initiate guard passes. The De La Riva hook combined with strategic grips allows the bottom player to control distance, create angles, and threaten multiple attack sequences simultaneously. The position’s effectiveness stems from its ability to break down the opponent’s structure while maintaining offensive options - when executed properly, it forces the top player into a defensive posture rather than allowing them to dictate the pace of the engagement.
De La Riva Guard Bottom has become fundamental to competitive BJJ, particularly in no-gi grappling where it transitions seamlessly into leg lock systems and back attacks. The position offers exceptional versatility, allowing practitioners to chain together sweeps, transitions to other guards (X-Guard, Single Leg X), and direct paths to dominant positions like the back or mount. Its modern applications have expanded the position’s scope to include berimbolo entries, kiss of the dragon variations, and sophisticated leg entanglement systems that chain directly into ashi garami and heel hook attacks.
The guard’s strategic depth lies in the dilemma structure it creates. When the top player resists being pulled forward, the bottom player transitions underneath to X-Guard or Single Leg X. When they drive forward with pressure, berimbolo and kiss of the dragon entries become available. When they attempt to strip grips, basic sweeps catch them during the transition. This layered threat matrix is what separates intermediate DLR players from advanced ones - the ability to read reactions and flow between attack chains without resetting to neutral.
Position Definition
- Bottom player’s outside leg threaded around opponent’s near leg with foot hooking behind their knee, creating the signature De La Riva hook that controls their base and prevents forward pressure
- Bottom player controlling opponent’s opposite sleeve or collar with a cross grip, creating a diagonal control system that disrupts their posture and enables angular attacks
Prerequisites
- Opponent in open guard passing position on their knees or in combat base
- Bottom player has established the De La Riva hook around opponent’s near leg
- Bottom player has secured a cross grip on opponent’s opposite sleeve, collar, or lapel
Key Defensive Principles
- Maintain constant tension on the De La Riva hook by pulling your knee toward your chest and driving your hooking foot into the back of their knee
- Create diagonal control by combining the hook with a strong cross grip to break down their posture and prevent them from squaring up to you
- Use your non-hooking leg actively to manage distance - placing it on their hip, knee, or bicep to prevent them from closing distance and smashing forward
- Keep your hips mobile and shoulders slightly off the mat to enable quick angle changes, inversions, and transitions to other positions
- Constantly off-balance your opponent by pulling with your grips while extending and retracting the De La Riva hook to disrupt their base
- Read opponent’s weight distribution to select the correct attack chain - forward pressure opens inversions while upright posture opens under-transitions
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent maintains upright posture and resists being pulled forward:
- Execute De La Riva to X-Guard Transition → X-Guard (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Single Leg X Entry → Single Leg X-Guard (Probability: 65%)
If opponent drives forward with pressure attempting to smash the guard:
- Execute Berimbolo Entry → Back Control (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Kiss of the Dragon → Back Control (Probability: 55%)
If opponent posts on your non-hooking leg and attempts to clear the De La Riva hook:
- Execute De La Riva Sweep → Mount (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Waiter Sweep → Side Control (Probability: 60%)
If opponent stands upright with weight on their heels and attempts to disengage:
- Execute Outside Ashi Entry → Outside Ashi-Garami (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Balloon Sweep → Mount (Probability: 50%)
Success Rates and Statistics
| Metric | Rate |
|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 68% |
| Advancement Probability | 62% |
| Submission Probability | 28% |
Average Time in Position: 45-90 seconds per engagement