The De La Riva Sweep Variations represent a comprehensive system of sweeps from one of BJJ’s most dynamic guard positions. Named after Ricardo De La Riva, this guard position uses a deep hook on the opponent’s leg combined with strategic grips to create powerful off-balancing opportunities. The variations include the classic De La Riva sweep to the back, the waiter sweep, the balloon sweep, and numerous transitional sweeps that flow into X-Guard, Single Leg X, and other advanced positions. Each variation exploits different defensive reactions and postures, making this system highly adaptable to various opponent responses. The technical foundation of all De La Riva sweeps relies on maintaining the characteristic DLR hook (wrapping your inside leg around the opponent’s near leg), controlling distance with your outside leg on the hip or bicep, and using grips to break the opponent’s base while creating angles. Success with these sweeps requires understanding timing, grip fighting, and the ability to chain multiple attacks together when the first attempt is defended. The De La Riva system is particularly effective in gi competition due to the control offered by pant and sleeve grips, though no-gi variations exist using underhooks and overhooks instead.
Starting Position: De La Riva Guard Ending Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 55%, Advanced 75%
Key Principles
- Maintain active DLR hook pressure constantly to disrupt opponent’s base and prevent them from settling into stable posture
- Control distance with your outside leg on hip or bicep - this prevents opponent from closing distance and smashing through
- Use grip fighting to control opponent’s sleeve and pant leg, breaking their posting ability and creating sweep opportunities
- Create angles by rotating your hips and shoulders to generate off-balancing force in unexpected directions
- Chain sweeps together based on opponent reactions - if they defend one sweep, their defensive movement opens another
- Time your sweep explosions to coincide with opponent’s weight shifts and moments of compromised base
- Combine pulling grips with pushing leg pressure to create opposing forces that amplify the sweeping motion
Prerequisites
- De La Riva guard established with inside leg hooking around opponent’s near leg, foot positioned behind their knee
- Outside leg actively framing on opponent’s hip, bicep, or knee to control distance and prevent forward pressure
- Strong grip control on opponent’s sleeve (same-side as your DLR hook) to prevent posting and control their upper body
- Secondary grip on opponent’s pant leg (ankle or knee) or collar to complete the control system
- Opponent in upright or semi-standing posture - DLR sweeps are less effective against fully kneeling opponents
- Sufficient space and mobility to rotate hips and create angles without restriction from training partners or obstacles
Execution Steps
- Establish DLR control: Secure the De La Riva guard position by threading your inside leg deep around opponent’s near leg, hooking your foot behind their knee. Your outside leg should be active on their hip or bicep. Establish strong grips on their same-side sleeve and opposite pant leg at the ankle. Your hips should be slightly angled, not flat on your back. (Timing: Initial guard establishment phase)
- Break opponent’s posture and base: Pull sharply on the sleeve grip while simultaneously pushing with your outside leg on their hip. This creates a diagonal force that breaks their upright posture. Simultaneously, use your DLR hook to lift and extend their trapped leg, removing their base on that side. Their weight should shift forward and to the side. (Timing: As opponent attempts to stabilize)
- Create sweeping angle: Rotate your hips and shoulders in the direction of the sweep (typically toward your DLR hook side). This rotation amplifies the off-balancing force and positions your body to follow through. Your outside leg transitions from hip to potentially bicep control, preventing them from posting their arm to that side. (Timing: Immediately after posture break)
- Execute sweep variation: For classic DLR sweep: Pull the pant grip toward you while extending your DLR hook forcefully, sweeping their leg out from under them. For waiter sweep: Rotate under while maintaining grips, using your DLR hook to elevate their leg as you come up. For balloon sweep: Push their leg away with your DLR hook while pulling their upper body over with grips. Each variation uses the same control structure with different directional forces. (Timing: Explosive execution when base is broken)
- Follow opponent’s rotation: As opponent begins to fall or roll, maintain your grips and use them to control their landing trajectory. Your body should rotate with them, staying connected throughout the sweep. Keep your DLR hook engaged until you’re ready to transition to top position to prevent them from scrambling away. (Timing: During sweep rotation)
- Secure top position: As the sweep completes, release your DLR hook and transition your legs to establish side control, knee on belly, or mount depending on their final position. Use your grips to control their near arm and prevent them from re-guarding. Your chest pressure should come down immediately to consolidate the position. (Timing: Completion of sweep)
- Consolidate control or transition: Establish secure top position with proper weight distribution and control points. If opponent begins to escape or turtle, be prepared to transition to back control or alternative positions. Alternatively, if the sweep doesn’t fully complete, flow into connected positions like X-Guard, Single Leg X-Guard, or Deep Half Guard based on their defensive reaction. (Timing: Immediate post-sweep)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent establishes heavy crossface and drives forward pressure, flattening your guard (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Switch to Reverse De La Riva Guard or transition to Deep Half Guard before they can fully smash through. Use your outside leg to create frames and prevent complete flattening.
- Opponent strips your pant grip and controls your outside leg, neutralizing your distance control (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Immediately switch to collar grip or underhook to maintain upper body control. Transition to Berimbolo Entry or kiss of the dragon if they compromise your leg control.
- Opponent backs their hips away and stands tall, removing pressure from your DLR hook (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow their movement by sitting up and transitioning to Single Leg X-Guard or standing up to prevent them from disengaging completely. Use your grips to prevent clean separation.
- Opponent posts their free leg wide and establishes strong base, preventing off-balancing (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Switch sweep direction or transition to alternative attack like Omoplata, Triangle Choke, or X-Guard entry. Use their posted leg as an anchor point for position transitions.
- Opponent grabs your DLR hooking leg and attempts to strip or control it (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Immediately threaten Triangle Choke or Omoplata to force them to release. If they maintain grip, transition to Reverse De La Riva Guard or invert under for back exposure.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary function of the outside leg in De La Riva guard, and why is it critical for sweep success? A: The outside leg in De La Riva guard controls distance by creating a frame on the opponent’s hip, bicep, or knee, preventing them from closing distance and smashing through your guard. This distance control is critical because it maintains the space needed for your DLR hook to function effectively and prevents opponent from establishing heavy pressure that would flatten your guard and make sweeps impossible. Without active outside leg pressure, opponent can easily pass by driving forward.
Q2: Why must you create an angle with your hips and shoulders before executing a DLR sweep, and what happens if you attempt to sweep while flat on your back? A: Creating an angle with hip and shoulder rotation before sweeping generates the off-balancing force necessary to disrupt opponent’s base and creates leverage for the sweep. Attempting to sweep while flat on your back provides no mechanical advantage, relies entirely on arm strength rather than hip and leg power, and allows opponent to easily base out and resist the sweep. The angle creates a diagonal force vector that opponent cannot defend by simply posting their arms or widening their base.
Q3: What are the mechanical differences between the classic DLR sweep, waiter sweep, and balloon sweep, and when is each variation most effective? A: The classic DLR sweep pulls opponent’s leg toward you while extending your hook away, working best when opponent has upright posture with even weight distribution. The waiter sweep rotates your body underneath opponent while elevating their leg, most effective when they’re leaning forward with pressure. The balloon sweep pushes their leg away while pulling their upper body over, ideal when opponent is standing tall and heavy on their trapped leg. Each variation exploits different postures and weight distributions, making the DLR system adaptable to various defensive reactions.
Q4: What are the appropriate responses when your opponent strips your pant grip during a DLR sweep attempt, and why is grip fighting so critical to the DLR system? A: When opponent strips your pant grip, immediately transition to collar grip, underhook, or alternative guard like Berimbolo Entry or kiss of the dragon to maintain upper body control. Grip fighting is critical because your grips provide the upper body control needed to break posture, prevent posting, and guide the sweep direction. Without proper grips, you lose the ability to control opponent’s upper body, making it impossible to create the pulling force needed for sweeps and leaving you vulnerable to guard passes. The DLR system relies on combining lower body control (hook and outside leg) with upper body control (grips).
Q5: How should you chain DLR sweep variations together, and why is the ability to combine multiple sweeps essential for high-level guard play? A: DLR sweeps should be chained based on opponent’s defensive reactions - when the classic sweep is defended by posting wide, switch to waiter sweep using their forward pressure; when they back away from waiter sweep, execute balloon sweep or Berimbolo Entry. Sweep chaining is essential because single sweep attempts become predictable and allow opponents to develop defensive timing. By flowing between connected sweeps, you create dilemmas where defending one sweep opens another, forcing opponent to make choices under pressure and significantly increasing your overall sweep success rate. Advanced guard players think in systems and combinations rather than isolated techniques.
Q6: How should you time DLR sweeps in relation to opponent’s weight shifts and movement, and why is timing often more important than strength? A: DLR sweeps should be executed when opponent’s weight shifts in a direction that aids your sweep - for example, as they step or shift weight onto their trapped leg for the classic sweep, or as they lean forward for the waiter sweep. Proper timing multiplies the effectiveness of your technique because you’re working with opponent’s momentum rather than against their stable base. Attempting to sweep when opponent is perfectly balanced requires excessive strength and usually fails, while sweeping during their weight shifts uses their own movement against them. Timing transforms technique from strength-dependent to leverage-dependent, allowing smaller practitioners to sweep larger opponents consistently.
Safety Considerations
When practicing De La Riva sweeps, controlled application is essential to prevent knee strain on the hooking leg. The DLR hook creates rotational force on your own knee joint, so practitioners must build tolerance gradually through proper progression. Avoid explosive lateral forces that could injure opponent’s trapped leg, especially when practicing new variations at speed. Ensure adequate mat space for full sweep rotations and be mindful of training area boundaries to prevent partners from being swept into walls or other obstacles. When executing the sweep, control opponent’s descent to prevent hard landings that could cause shoulder, head, or back injuries. Both partners should tap immediately if knee pressure becomes uncomfortable during the hook application. Practice with gradually increasing resistance rather than starting with full competition-level intensity, allowing both partners to develop proper mechanics and sensitivity to potential injury points.
Position Integration
The De La Riva Sweep Variations represent a cornerstone of modern open guard systems, connecting seamlessly with numerous related positions and techniques. From the DLR guard, practitioners can transition to X-Guard, Single Leg X-Guard, Reverse De La Riva Guard, and Deep Half Guard based on opponent reactions and defensive postures. The DLR system also provides natural entries to advanced techniques like the Berimbolo Entry, kiss of the dragon, and Crab Ride, making it a hub position for modern competition BJJ. When sweeps are defended, the same control structure allows immediate transitions to submission attacks including Triangle Choke, Omoplata, and Kneebar. The ability to flow between DLR sweeps and these connected positions creates a comprehensive guard system where defending one attack consistently opens others. Understanding DLR as a systematic position rather than isolated sweeps transforms it from a collection of techniques into a complete game plan that works across all skill levels and rule sets.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The De La Riva guard system exemplifies the principle of creating mechanical dilemmas through asymmetric control structures. What makes DLR sweeps so effective is the combination of your inside leg controlling their near leg below their center of gravity while your outside leg manages distance above their center of gravity. This creates a lever system where small adjustments in angle and pressure generate significant off-balancing forces. The key technical element that most practitioners miss is the importance of active hook pressure - your DLR hook must constantly pull their leg across their body, not simply rest in position. This active pulling creates constant instability in their base that makes sweep timing much more forgiving. When teaching DLR sweeps, I emphasize understanding the biomechanical relationship between your grips, your hook pressure, and your outside leg position. These three elements work together as a unified system - weakness in any one element compromises the entire structure. The highest-level application involves using your DLR control to create movement in your opponent, then timing your sweep to coincide with their reactive weight shifts. This transforms the technique from a strength-based attack into a leverage-based systematic approach that works reliably across size and strength differentials.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, De La Riva sweeps are incredibly high-percentage techniques when you understand grip fighting and timing. The biggest difference between mediocre DLR players and elite competitors is their ability to establish and maintain their preferred grips under pressure while preventing opponent from getting their defensive grips. I focus heavily on the pant grip at the ankle because it gives maximum control of their leg and prevents them from stripping it easily. When executing sweeps, I never try to muscle through - instead, I wait for opponent to make small adjustments in their base or shift their weight, then time my sweep to exploit that moment of instability. My preferred variation is the waiter sweep because it works exceptionally well in gi competition and creates immediate scrambles that favor the aggressive guard player. What makes my DLR game effective is that I don’t just attack sweeps - I’m constantly threatening triangles, omoplatas, and transitions to other guards, which makes my sweep attempts much harder to defend because opponent has to worry about multiple threats simultaneously. If the sweep doesn’t work immediately, I flow directly to berimbolo or X-guard rather than trying to force the same sweep repeatedly. Competition success with DLR requires understanding it as a complete system where sweeps, submissions, and position transitions all work together to create offensive momentum.
- Eddie Bravo: The De La Riva system is incredibly powerful, but in no-gi you have to adapt the mechanics since you can’t rely on pant and sleeve grips. In 10th Planet, we use DLR concepts but with underhooks and overhooks replacing traditional gi grips, and we focus more on transitioning to legs and back attacks rather than traditional sweeps. What I love about DLR is how it creates angles and forces opponent to react - that’s the foundation of our whole system. When we drill DLR, we emphasize the connection to berimbolo, crab ride, and back takes because those positions translate better to no-gi competition and MMA contexts. The hook mechanics are the same whether gi or no-gi - you’re still controlling their leg and creating off-balancing forces - but the grip strategies change completely. In no-gi, I teach getting an overhook on the far arm or an underhook on the near side instead of pant grips, and using your outside leg more aggressively to hook under their far leg toward X-guard transitions. The waiter sweep still works great in no-gi if you have good upper body control. Innovation with DLR means understanding the core principles - asymmetric leg control and distance management - then adapting the specific grips and transitions to whatever rule set you’re competing in. Don’t get locked into thinking DLR only works one way; the position is way more versatile than people realize.