The De La Riva Sweep is a fundamental attacking technique from the De La Riva Guard position that allows the bottom player to off-balance and sweep their opponent to achieve top position. This sweep exploits the mechanical disadvantage created when the opponent’s weight is distributed across a compromised base, using the De La Riva hook and strategic grips to control and manipulate their center of gravity. The technique is highly effective in gi-based Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and forms the foundation of an entire guard system.
The De La Riva Sweep works by creating a powerful lever system using the De La Riva hook (leg wrapped around opponent’s leg from outside), combined with strategic sleeve and collar grips. By extending the hooked leg while pulling with the grips, the practitioner generates rotational force that disrupts the opponent’s base and drives them to the mat. The sweep can lead to various dominant positions including side control, mount, or back control, depending on how the opponent reacts and falls.
This technique represents a cornerstone of modern sport jiu-jitsu, particularly in IBJJF competition formats where the De La Riva guard is extensively used. Mastering the De La Riva Sweep requires understanding timing, grip fighting, hip movement, and the ability to chain multiple attacks together. The sweep becomes increasingly effective as practitioners develop sensitivity to weight distribution and learn to capitalize on their opponent’s forward pressure or attempts to pass the guard.
Starting Position: De La Riva Guard Ending Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 30%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 70%
Key Principles
- Maintain strong De La Riva hook with foot positioned deep behind opponent’s knee
- Control opponent’s sleeve on the same side as the hook to prevent posting
- Use opposite leg to create pushing or framing pressure on opponent’s hip or knee
- Break opponent’s posture and base by pulling them forward and off-center
- Time the sweep when opponent commits weight forward or attempts to pass
- Extend the De La Riva hook forcefully while pulling with grips to generate sweeping motion
- Follow through by coming up on top and establishing dominant position control
Prerequisites
- De La Riva Guard established with hook deep behind opponent’s near leg
- Strong sleeve grip on same side as De La Riva hook to prevent posting
- Collar grip, belt grip, or pants grip with opposite hand for control
- Opponent’s weight slightly forward or centered over their base
- Bottom player’s opposite leg actively framing or controlling opponent’s far hip
- Hip mobility and flexibility to maintain guard structure while generating sweeping motion
Execution Steps
- Establish De La Riva Guard: From open guard, insert your right leg behind opponent’s left leg with your foot hooking deep behind their knee. Your shin should be tight against the back of their leg. Simultaneously grab their left sleeve with your left hand and establish a collar or belt grip with your right hand. (Timing: Initial guard establishment phase)
- Control opponent’s posture: Pull down on the collar or belt grip to break opponent’s posture forward while maintaining tight sleeve control. Your left foot should be on their right hip creating a frame. This creates the foundational control structure necessary for the sweep. (Timing: As opponent attempts to establish passing pressure)
- Off-balance opponent laterally: Pull strongly with your left hand on their sleeve toward your left side while simultaneously extending your De La Riva hook. This combination creates a circular motion that compromises their base and shifts their weight onto their left side. (Timing: When opponent’s weight shifts forward or they step with far leg)
- Extend De La Riva hook explosively: Drive your right leg straight, extending the De La Riva hook powerfully while maintaining the hook position behind their knee. This extension acts as the primary lever that elevates their leg and disrupts their base completely. (Timing: Immediately after off-balancing begins)
- Pull with grips and rotate: Pull hard with both grips in a coordinated motion—sleeve grip pulling toward your hip, collar/belt grip pulling downward. Rotate your hips slightly toward the sweeping direction to add rotational force. Your left foot pushes their far hip away to prevent them from posting. (Timing: Simultaneous with hook extension)
- Complete sweep and establish top position: As opponent falls to their side or back, follow through by coming up on your knees or directly into side control. Release the De La Riva hook as you transition to top position. Maintain grip control throughout the transition to prevent opponent from recovering guard or escaping. (Timing: As opponent’s shoulder approaches the mat)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent steps back with hooked leg to relieve pressure (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Follow their movement by extending your body forward, transition to X-Guard or Single Leg X-Guard, or switch to alternative De La Riva attacks like the Kiss of the Dragon back take
- Opponent posts with free hand to block the sweep (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Attack the posted arm with a triangle setup, switch to opposite side sweep, or transition to omoplata when they post
- Opponent jumps over the De La Riva hook to pass (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Retract hook and transition to Reverse De La Riva Guard, or use their momentum to invert and take the back
- Opponent maintains heavy base and drives forward pressure (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Use their forward pressure to transition to Deep Half Guard position, or switch to overhead sweep variations when they commit weight forward
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary mechanical lever that generates sweeping force in the De La Riva Sweep? A: The De La Riva hook (leg wrapped behind opponent’s knee from outside) acts as the primary lever. When extended forcefully while maintaining the hook position, it elevates the opponent’s leg and disrupts their base, creating the sweeping motion when combined with strategic grip pulls.
Q2: Why is controlling the opponent’s sleeve on the same side as the De La Riva hook essential for sweep success? A: Controlling the sleeve prevents the opponent from posting their hand on that side to block the sweep. Without sleeve control, the opponent can easily base out with their arm, stopping the sweeping motion and maintaining their position. The sleeve grip also provides directional control to pull opponent off-balance.
Q3: How should you respond if your opponent steps back with their hooked leg to defend the De La Riva Sweep? A: When opponent steps back, you should follow their movement by extending your body forward and transition to alternative attacks such as X-Guard, Single Leg X-Guard, or the Kiss of the Dragon back take. Attempting to force the original sweep against this counter is ineffective and wastes energy.
Q4: What role does the opposite leg (non-hook leg) play in executing an effective De La Riva Sweep? A: The opposite leg creates crucial framing pressure on the opponent’s far hip or knee, preventing them from posting wide with that leg to maintain base. It also controls their rotational movement and can push to enhance the off-balancing effect, working in coordination with the hook and grips to complete the sweep.
Q5: Explain the optimal timing window for initiating the De La Riva Sweep? A: The optimal timing is when the opponent commits weight forward while attempting to pass, or when they step with their far leg creating momentary base compromise. Attempting the sweep when opponent’s weight is back or they maintain heavy static pressure results in low success rates. Reading weight distribution and capitalizing on movement transitions is key.
Q6: What are three common transitions if the De La Riva Sweep attempt is countered or fails? A: Three effective transitions include: (1) Kiss of the Dragon back take when opponent steps back, (2) Omoplata when opponent posts their arm to defend, and (3) X-Guard or Single Leg X-Guard when opponent creates distance. Maintaining attacking pressure through transitions prevents opponent from consolidating passing position.
Safety Considerations
The De La Riva Sweep should be executed with controlled force to protect both practitioners from injury. When sweeping, be mindful of the rotational torque placed on the opponent’s knee from the hook position—avoid jerking or explosive movements that could stress knee ligaments. Ensure training partners understand proper falling technique (breakfalls) before practicing at full speed. The bottom player should maintain awareness of their own knee and ankle positioning in the De La Riva hook to prevent hyperextension injuries. When practicing, start slowly and gradually increase speed as both partners develop familiarity with the technique. Communication is essential, particularly when partner is airborne during sweep completion. Practice on appropriate mat surfaces with adequate padding. If you experience knee or ankle discomfort while in De La Riva Guard, release the position immediately and assess before continuing.
Position Integration
The De La Riva Sweep is a foundational technique within the broader De La Riva Guard system, one of the most sophisticated and widely-used open guard systems in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This sweep serves as both a primary attacking option and a gateway to numerous other techniques including back takes, submissions, and alternative sweeps. Within the positional hierarchy, the De La Riva Guard represents an active bottom position that can neutralize opponent’s passing attempts while creating offensive opportunities. The sweep’s success often depends on integration with other De La Riva attacks such as the berimbolo, Kiss of the Dragon, waiter sweep, and omoplata, creating a web of interconnected threats that keep opponents defensive. Understanding when to commit to the sweep versus when to flow to alternative attacks is crucial for high-level De La Riva Guard play. The technique also connects to related guard systems including X-Guard, Single Leg X-Guard, and Reverse De La Riva Guard, allowing practitioners to transition between guards while maintaining offensive pressure. In competition contexts, the De La Riva Sweep is particularly valuable because it can score sweep points (2 points in IBJJF) while also potentially leading to more dominant positions for additional points.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The De La Riva Sweep exemplifies fundamental biomechanical principles of leverage and base disruption that apply throughout grappling. The technique succeeds because it creates a multi-directional attack on the opponent’s stability—the hook elevates one leg while grips pull their upper body in opposing directions, making it geometrically impossible to maintain balance. What separates elite De La Riva players from beginners is understanding that the sweep itself is often secondary to the positional control it creates. The mere threat of the sweep forces opponents into defensive postures that expose them to back takes, leg locks, and other attacks. Students must develop systematic understanding of how grip configurations affect sweeping angles and success rates. The two-on-one sleeve grip variant, for instance, dramatically increases sweep percentage but limits submission options, requiring intelligent decision-making based on opponent reactions. Training should emphasize sensitivity to weight distribution rather than memorizing fixed sequences—the ability to feel when opponent’s base is compromised and capitalize immediately separates functional technique from theoretical knowledge.
- Gordon Ryan: In high-level competition, the De La Riva Sweep is rarely executed in isolation—it functions as part of a systematic attack sequence that keeps opponents constantly defending. I use the sweep primarily as a forcing mechanism to create reactions that open up more dominant positions like the back or leg entanglements. When drilling this technique, focus obsessively on grip fighting because competition-level opponents will fight desperately to strip your sleeve control. I prefer the collar and sleeve configuration because it gives more postural control and makes the berimbolo transition seamless if the sweep fails. The key competitive insight is timing—attempting this sweep against a static opponent is low percentage, but catching them mid-step or as they try to pressure into you dramatically increases success. I often fake guard pull or other movements to draw them forward, then hit the sweep when their weight commits. Against world-class opponents, expect the sweep to be defended, so always have your Kiss of the Dragon back take or transition to single leg X ready as immediate follow-ups. The sweep scores points, but the back take finishes matches.
- Eddie Bravo: The De La Riva Sweep becomes exponentially more dangerous when you integrate it with unconventional grips and angles that opponents don’t typically train to defend. At 10th Planet, we emphasize the De La Riva system heavily, particularly in no-gi contexts where we adapt the mechanics using overhooks and underhooks instead of gi grips. One innovation that’s highly effective is using the sweep to set up calf slicers and electric chair positions—when opponent defends by stepping back, instead of following with X-Guard, trap their leg and attack the knee line. The psychological warfare aspect is crucial: if you hit one De La Riva Sweep early in a match, opponents become paranoid and defensive, opening up entirely different attacks. I teach students to make the sweep look effortless through perfect timing and minimal energy expenditure—this creates mental pressure that compounds throughout the match. For MMA applications, the De La Riva structure translates surprisingly well despite no-gi limitations, particularly for creating sweeps against cage-pressed opponents. The hook position combined with strategic underhooks can replicate much of the gi functionality while opening up leg lock opportunities that gi rules often prohibit.