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Reverse De La Riva Guard | BJJ Position Guide | BJJ Graph

Oct 25, 20258 min read

Reverse De La Riva Guard

bjjstateguardopen_guardrdlr

State Properties

  • State ID: S020
  • Point Value: 0 (Neutral with defensive advantage)
  • Position Type: Defensive/offensive hybrid guard
  • Risk Level: Medium
  • Energy Cost: Medium to High
  • Time Sustainability: Medium

State Description

Reverse De La Riva Guard (RDLR) is a modern guard variation that emerged as a counter to specific passing strategies, particularly the knee cut and leg drag passes. The position is characterized by the bottom player hooking the opponent’s non-passing leg with their outside leg, while the inside leg creates a frame across the opponent’s hip or thigh. RDLR serves as both a defensive position to prevent passes and an offensive launching pad for sweeps, back takes, and transitions to other guards, making it a crucial component of the modern guard system.

Visual Description

You are on your side or partially inverted, with your outside leg hooking deep behind your opponent’s far knee or thigh, your foot curling around to secure the back of their leg. Your inside leg extends as an active frame against their nearside hip or thigh, preventing them from driving their knee across your body to complete a pass. Your far arm typically grips their sleeve or wrist on the same side as your hooking leg, controlling their ability to base or grip, while your near arm may control their belt, pants at the hip, or reach for their far collar. Your opponent is typically bent forward in a passing posture, one knee attempting to cut across your legs or one leg extended back as they work to clear your frame and establish side control. Your hips remain mobile and angled, not flat on your back, creating the spatial relationship necessary to both defend the pass and initiate offensive attacks. This asymmetric configuration creates a defensive shield against specific passes while loading your outside leg hook for sweeps, inversions, and back take attempts.

Key Principles

  • Hook opponent’s non-passing leg with your outside leg
  • Frame against opponent’s passing hip with your inside leg
  • Control opponent’s sleeve/wrist or collar with far-side arm
  • Establish belt/hip grip with near-side arm when possible
  • Maintain spine angle to prevent flattening
  • Create and exploit leverage through strategic hooks and frames
  • Manage distance to counter passing pressure while maintaining offensive options

Prerequisites

  • Hip mobility and flexibility
  • Understanding of modern passing counters
  • Familiarity with inversion mechanics
  • Frame coordination and control
  • Defensive awareness and timing

State Invariants

  • Outside leg hooking opponent’s non-passing leg
  • Inside leg positioned as frame against opponent’s hip/thigh
  • Upper body control through grips and posture
  • Angled positioning rather than flat on back
  • Active hip movement and connectivity

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: Views RDLR primarily as a defensive position used to counter specific passing strategies. Emphasizes the mechanics of proper framing and hip movement to prevent passing while setting up transitions to more offensively oriented positions like Single Leg X and X-Guard.
  • Gordon Ryan: Utilizes RDLR extensively as both a defensive recovery position and as a launching pad for back takes via berimbolo variations. Emphasizes subtle weight shifting and grip fighting details that facilitate offensive transitions while maintaining defensive integrity.
  • Eddie Bravo: Incorporates RDLR principles into the 10th Planet system with modified gripping strategies suitable for no-gi. Often connects RDLR to the lockdown and rubber guard systems through specialized transition sequences, focusing on creating unique angles and leverage points.

Common Errors

  • Passive hook placement → Ineffective control
  • Weak inside leg frame → Vulnerability to knee cut
  • Flat back positioning → Loss of defensive structure
  • Focusing solely on defense → Missing offensive opportunities
  • Poor grip management → Inability to control opponent’s movements

Training Drills

  • RDLR maintenance against progressive passing pressure
  • Transition flows between RDLR and related guards
  • Inversion technique and recovery exercises
  • Grip fighting and control sequences
  • Berimbolo and back take entries with resistance

Decision Tree

If opponent attempts knee cut pass:

Else if opponent attempts leg drag:

Else if opponent stands tall:

Else if opponent drives weight forward:

Position Metrics

  • Success Rate: 70% defensive retention (competition data)
  • Average Time in Position: 20-45 seconds
  • Sweep Probability: 40%
  • Back Take Probability: 30%
  • Position Loss Probability: 30%

Optimal Paths

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

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

Sweep path: Reverse De La Riva Guard → RDLR to X-Guard → X-Guard → Technical Standup → Top Position

Computer Science Analogy

RDLR functions as an adaptive response algorithm in the BJJ state graph, specifically designed to counter certain passing patterns (knee cut, leg drag). It implements a “conditional branching” logic where defensive responses trigger predetermined offensive sequences. The position can be modeled as a state with high branch factor but specialized effectiveness against certain opponent states, similar to how specific algorithms are optimized to handle particular input patterns.

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