Why must you keep your De La Riva hook loaded until the lapel is wrapped behind the knee?

The De La Riva hook holds the opponent's lead leg fixed in place while you free and thread the lapel. If you release the hook before the fabric has taken over its function behind the knee, the leg comes free and the opponent can backstep or pass, leaving you with a loose lapel grip and no leg control during a vulnerable transition. The hook and the wrap should overlap so leg control is continuous.

Which direction should you route the lapel relative to your own leg, and why does it matter?

You route the lapel from inside to outside underneath your own De La Riva shin so the fabric threads behind the opponent's knee. This matters because routing the cloth over your leg produces only a cross-collar grip that does not trap the limb, whereas routing it under creates a true wrap that entangles the leg with the opponent's own gi, giving the persistent worm-guard control point.

What is the ideal timing window to extract the lapel during this entry?

The ideal window is when the opponent commits their lead-leg weight forward, typically as they posture up or stand to pass, because this fixes the lead leg in place over your hook. With the leg committed, it cannot easily retract while you reach for and thread the lapel. Attempting the extraction with their weight back lets them simply pull the leg free and lose you the hook and the guard.

How should you grip the lapel during the feed to avoid losing the wrap?

Use a relaxed, structural grip rather than a tense forearm death-grip. Hook your fingers through the fabric and let your body and hip positioning maintain tension, which preserves forearm endurance and dexterity for the precise threading and the final far-side re-grip that locks the wrap. A death-grip fatigues quickly and produces a rushed, sloppy feed that often fails to complete.

Why is secondary sleeve or ankle control important while you feed the lapel?

Feeding the lapel occupies your hands, so without a second point of control the opponent is free to backstep, circle, or post and pass during that window. A retained sleeve, ankle, or collar grip pins them in place and limits their escape routes, allowing you to commit both hands to the threading. You only fully commit to the feed once those escape routes are restricted.

De La Riva to Lapel Guard Attacker | BJJ Technique Guide

As the bottom player in De La Riva, you are the attacker in this entry, working to convert a grip-dependent hook into a fabric-based control system. The objective is to free the opponent’s same-side lapel, thread it under your De La Riva leg, and feed it behind their hooked knee so their own gi traps the leg. This is the foundational entry into worm guard and the broader lapel guard system.

The entry capitalizes on the geometry De La Riva already provides: your hook is around the outside of their committed lead leg, and their forward posture exposes the lapel for extraction. The critical skill is maintaining your De La Riva hook and sleeve control while your free hand pulls the lapel from their belt and passes it underneath your leg, then re-grips on the far side of their knee. Done correctly, the wrap persists even if your hand grip is later broken, giving you a low-energy control point from which to launch sweeps, back takes, and submissions.

The transition rewards patience and timing over speed. Rushing the extraction before the opponent commits their weight forward usually results in losing the hook and conceding the guard. The strongest entries happen when the opponent stands to pass or postures aggressively, momentarily fixing their lead leg in place and giving you the window to complete the wrap.

From Position: De La Riva Guard (Bottom)

Key Attacking Principles

What are the key principles for executing De La Riva to Lapel Guard?

Preserve your De La Riva hook throughout the extraction - the hook holds the leg in place while you thread the lapel
Free the opponent’s same-side lapel from the belt with your free hand before they settle their base
Thread the lapel under your own De La Riva leg, not over it, so the fabric wraps behind their knee
Re-grip the lapel on the far side of the opponent’s hooked knee to lock the worm configuration
Maintain sleeve or ankle control so the opponent cannot immediately backstep out of the entanglement
Use structural grips and skeletal alignment, not a forearm death-grip, to feed and re-grip the fabric
Time the extraction to when the opponent commits their lead-leg weight forward, fixing the leg for the wrap

Prerequisites

What do you need before attempting De La Riva to Lapel Guard?

De La Riva hook firmly established around the outside of the opponent’s lead leg
Sleeve, ankle, or collar control on the opponent to limit their posture and prevent an early backstep
Opponent’s same-side lapel accessible and not buried under a tightly cinched belt
A free hand available to perform the lapel extraction and threading sequence
Opponent posturing upright or standing so the lead leg is committed and weight is forward

Execution Steps

How do you execute De La Riva to Lapel Guard step by step?

Establish and load the De La Riva hook: From open guard, drive your De La Riva foot around the outside of the opponent’s lead leg, hooking behind their knee with your shin and instep. Pull on their sleeve or ankle to load the hook and draw their weight forward over your hook, fixing their lead leg in place so it cannot easily retreat during the extraction.
Extract the same-side lapel from the belt: With your free hand, reach to the opponent’s same-side lapel (the side of your De La Riva hook) and pull the tail of the lapel free from underneath their belt. Strip enough fabric so you have a workable length of lapel to feed, keeping your De La Riva hook active and your sleeve control intact while you free the cloth.
Pass the lapel under your De La Riva leg: Feed the extracted lapel underneath your own De La Riva leg, passing the fabric from the inside to the outside so it travels beneath your hooking shin. This routing is what positions the lapel to wrap behind the opponent’s hooked knee rather than simply being a loose collar grip across your body.
Wrap the lapel behind the opponent’s knee: Guide the fabric so it threads behind the opponent’s hooked knee, replacing the function of your De La Riva hook with the cloth itself. The lapel now wraps the back of their leg, beginning to trap the limb with their own gi and creating the persistent worm-guard control point that does not rely on your hook strength.
Re-grip the lapel on the far side: Reach your other hand across and collect the lapel tail emerging on the far side of the opponent’s knee, securing a structural grip with the fingers hooked through the fabric. This completes the wrap and locks the worm configuration; the leg is now controlled by the cloth even if either hand grip is momentarily released.
Settle into lapel guard and clear the hook: With the lapel secured behind the knee, release or slide your original De La Riva hook free, replacing it with the fabric wrap and keeping your hips angled toward the controlled leg. Re-establish your secondary grip on the far sleeve or collar, keep your free leg active as a frame, and settle into lapel guard ready to threaten sweeps and back takes.

Possible Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	Lapel Guard	58%
Failure	De La Riva Guard	27%
Counter	Open Guard	15%

Opponent Counters

How might your opponent counter De La Riva to Lapel Guard?

Opponent backsteps and circles their lead leg out before the lapel is threaded (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Maintain heavy sleeve and ankle control to delay the backstep, and if they begin to circle, follow their rotation to re-establish the De La Riva hook or re-pummel the leg rather than chasing the lapel; reset and re-attempt once their leg recommits. → Leads to De La Riva Guard
Opponent strips the loose lapel and drives forward to pass while the cloth is unsecured (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: If they catch the lapel mid-feed, abandon the wrap, recover your De La Riva hook and frames, and re-close to open guard rather than fighting to complete a compromised configuration that exposes you to the pass. → Leads to Open Guard
Opponent kills the De La Riva hook by sitting their weight back and pulling the leg free (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Use their backward weight shift to re-extend your hook or switch to a reverse De La Riva entanglement, keeping sleeve control so you can re-load the leg and re-attempt the extraction from the renewed hook. → Leads to De La Riva Guard
Opponent pins the lapel-feeding hand to your chest to prevent the threading (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Switch the feed to your other hand or use a small hip rotation to create the space to pass the cloth under your leg; their commitment to pinning the hand often frees their posture for the wrap or a direct sweep. → Leads to De La Riva Guard

Common Attacking Mistakes

What mistakes should you avoid when executing De La Riva to Lapel Guard?

1. Releasing the De La Riva hook before the lapel is wrapped behind the knee

Consequence: The opponent’s lead leg comes free and they backstep or pass, leaving you with a loose lapel grip and no leg control during a vulnerable transition.
Correction: Keep your De La Riva hook fully loaded until the cloth has replaced its function behind the knee. The hook and the wrap should overlap; only clear the hook once the lapel re-grip is secured.

2. Feeding the lapel over the leg instead of underneath it

Consequence: The fabric ends up as a simple cross-collar grip rather than a wrap, so it does not trap the leg and provides none of the persistent worm-guard control you are after.
Correction: Always route the lapel from inside to outside underneath your own De La Riva shin so it threads behind the opponent’s knee, creating a true wrap that entangles the limb.

3. Attempting the extraction before the opponent’s weight is committed forward

Consequence: With their weight back and lead leg mobile, they simply retract the leg or stand up, and you lose both the hook and the guard while reaching for the lapel.
Correction: Bait their forward posture or wait for them to stand to pass, fixing the lead leg in place, then extract and thread while the leg is committed and the window is open.

4. Gripping the lapel with a tense forearm death-grip throughout the feed

Consequence: Your forearm fatigues quickly and your fingers cannot perform the precise threading and re-grip, so the wrap is rushed, sloppy, or never completed.
Correction: Use a relaxed, structural grip - hook the fingers through the fabric and let body and hip positioning maintain tension, saving forearm strength for the final re-grip that locks the wrap.

5. Neglecting secondary sleeve or ankle control during the extraction

Consequence: Without a second point of control the opponent freely backsteps, circles, or posts to pass while both of your hands are occupied feeding the lapel.
Correction: Maintain a sleeve, ankle, or collar grip throughout the feed so the opponent is pinned in place, and only commit both hands to the threading once their escape routes are limited.

Training Progressions

How do you train De La Riva to Lapel Guard (Attacker)?

Week 1-2: Lapel Extraction Mechanics - Freeing the lapel and routing it under the leg with a compliant partner From a static De La Riva hook, drill pulling the same-side lapel free of the belt and feeding it under your own leg without resistance. Reset every repetition. Focus on the routing (inside to outside) and on keeping the hook loaded throughout. 20-30 repetitions per session, alternating sides.

Week 3-4: Completing the Wrap and Re-Grip - Threading behind the knee and securing the far-side re-grip Partner maintains a forward posture with light resistance. Practice the full sequence through to the far-side re-grip and clearing the De La Riva hook into the fabric wrap. Emphasize the overlap between hook and wrap so leg control is never lost. 15-20 repetitions per session.

Week 5-8: Timing Against Posture and Standing - Catching the entry as the opponent commits the lead leg Partner alternates between sitting back, posturing up, and standing to pass at medium resistance. Recognize the committed-leg window and execute the extraction in that moment, resetting when the window is missed. Develop the read for when the leg is fixed enough to wrap.

Month 3+: Live Entry Into Offense - Chaining the completed lapel guard into sweeps and back takes From open and De La Riva guard with full resistance, work to enter lapel guard and immediately flow into the downstream worm-guard offense. 5-minute rounds, multiple per session, integrating the entry into a complete bottom game and adapting to backstep and pass counters.

Safety Considerations

What are the safety concerns for De La Riva to Lapel Guard?

This entry is a positional gi transition with low inherent injury risk, but a few precautions apply. Avoid cinching the lapel wrap so aggressively around the opponent’s knee that it torques the joint laterally - the goal is to trap and control the leg, not to apply a leg lock, so feed the fabric with control and release immediately if your partner signals knee discomfort. Be mindful of finger entanglement in the gi during the feed and re-grip; keep fingers hooked rather than deeply threaded to prevent finger sprains if the opponent rips free. When drilling the standing-pass timing, communicate clearly so neither partner is surprised by the sudden leg entanglement, which can unbalance a standing opponent.