The Kiss of the Dragon is an inversion-based back take executed from Reverse De La Riva Guard, where the bottom player threads their body underneath the opponent by rotating through the space between their legs. This technique exploits the unique angular advantages of the RDLR hook to create a pathway for deep inversion, emerging on the opponent’s back side to establish hooks and upper body control. The technique gained prominence through modern competitors and has become a staple of advanced guard play, particularly in gi competition where pants grips enhance control during the rotation.
The mechanical foundation relies on the RDLR hook creating a pivot point around the opponent’s far leg. As the bottom player initiates the inversion, their head passes between the opponent’s legs while maintaining hook control to prevent disengagement. The critical moment occurs during the rotation phase, where the inverting player must maintain continuous leg contact to guide their body around the opponent’s stance and emerge with back exposure. Unlike the berimbolo, which typically enters from a more lateral angle, Kiss of the Dragon drives directly underneath the opponent’s center of gravity, making it particularly effective when the opponent maintains an upright posture or attempts to disengage from the RDLR hook.
Strategically, this technique creates a powerful dilemma for the top player: driving forward feeds into waiter sweeps, but standing tall or creating distance exposes the exact spacing needed for the Kiss of the Dragon entry. The technique integrates seamlessly with the broader RDLR attack system, functioning as the primary back-take option that forces opponents to choose between equally unfavorable defensive postures.
From Position: Reverse De La Riva Guard (Bottom) Success Rate: 55%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Back Control | 55% |
| Failure | Reverse De La Riva Guard | 30% |
| Counter | Side Control | 15% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Maintain continuous leg contact with opponent’s far leg thro… | Maintain low heavy base with hips back to deny the space und… |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Maintain continuous leg contact with opponent’s far leg throughout the entire inversion to prevent disengagement and guide rotation path
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Commit fully to the inversion once initiated—half-committed rotations stall between opponent’s legs in extremely vulnerable positions
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Use the RDLR hook as a pivot point that controls the direction and speed of your rotation around the opponent’s stance
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Keep your far-side grip active during inversion to prevent opponent from backstepping away from the rotation
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Emerge from the inversion with immediate hook insertion priority before establishing upper body control
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Time the entry when opponent’s weight shifts backward or upward, creating maximum space underneath their hips for the inversion
Execution Steps
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Establish RDLR structure and grips: From Reverse De La Riva Guard bottom, confirm your near-side foot has a deep hook behind the opponen…
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Create inversion angle: Shift your hips toward the centerline underneath your opponent by walking your shoulders toward them…
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Initiate the inversion: Duck your head between the opponent’s legs while simultaneously pulling their far ankle toward you w…
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Thread through the legs: Continue rotating your body underneath the opponent, threading your shoulders and torso between thei…
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Complete the rotation: As your body emerges on the opponent’s back side, your hook-side leg naturally transitions from the …
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Establish back control hooks: Immediately insert both hooks inside the opponent’s thighs as you complete the rotation. Your near-s…
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Secure upper body control: Establish seatbelt grip with your over arm reaching across their chest and under arm threading benea…
Common Mistakes
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Initiating the inversion without sufficient space underneath opponent
- Consequence: Head and shoulders get stuck between opponent’s legs, creating a vulnerable position where opponent can apply downward pressure, crossface, or consolidate a passing position over your inverted body.
- Correction: Wait for opponent to stand tall or shift weight backward before initiating. Create space by extending your RDLR hook to push their far knee outward and elevate your hips to generate clearance for the threading motion.
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Releasing the ankle grip during the rotation phase
- Consequence: Opponent can freely backstep or disengage their leg from your hook, causing the inversion to stall with you in an inverted position with no directional control and no means to prevent their escape.
- Correction: Maintain the ankle grip throughout the entire rotation as your primary steering mechanism. Only release after your body has fully emerged on the back side and you are transitioning to seatbelt control.
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Half-committing to the inversion and stalling mid-rotation
- Consequence: Leaves you inverted between opponent’s legs in an extremely vulnerable position where they can sprawl, apply downward pressure, or establish passing position over your body.
- Correction: Once you begin the inversion past the point of no return with head between legs, commit fully and accelerate through the rotation. The technique requires decisive, continuous movement without hesitation.
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Maintain low heavy base with hips back to deny the space underneath you that the inversion requires for threading
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Control the opponent’s near-side hip to prevent the initial angular shift that precedes the inversion entry
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Strip or control the ankle grip early, as this is the attacker’s steering mechanism for the entire rotation
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Backstep decisively when you feel the inversion beginning—partial retreats allow the attacker to follow your movement
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Keep chest driving forward and down to eliminate the clearance between your legs needed for the threading motion
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Never stand tall or straighten your legs when an RDLR hook is established, as this creates the exact spacing the technique exploits
Recognition Cues
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Opponent’s hips begin shifting toward your centerline with shoulders walking underneath you, indicating the angle creation phase before inversion
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Increased pulling pressure on your far ankle as opponent loads the grip for rotational control during the threading motion
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Opponent’s far leg releases its posting position on your hip, freeing it to generate rotational momentum for the inversion
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Opponent’s head begins lowering toward the space between your legs as they initiate the threading phase
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Sudden elevation of opponent’s hips combined with visible core engagement, indicating imminent inversion commitment
Defensive Options
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Sprawl hips back and drive weight down onto opponent’s inverting body - When: When you feel opponent’s hips shifting toward your centerline and recognize early inversion setup before head enters between legs
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Backstep far leg away from the RDLR hook to remove the pivot point entirely - When: When opponent releases far leg frame indicating imminent inversion commitment or when you feel the hook deepening
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Drive crossface forward and flatten opponent before inversion begins - When: When opponent is still building grips and angle but has not yet committed to the rotation
Position Integration
Kiss of the Dragon occupies a central role in the Reverse De La Riva attack system, serving as the primary back-take threat that forces the top player into defensive postures vulnerable to other RDLR attacks. The technique connects the bottom guard game to the back control system through inversion mechanics, creating a direct pathway from open guard to the most dominant position in BJJ. It chains effectively with berimbolo entries, crab ride transitions, and waiter sweeps, forming a comprehensive attack network where each technique’s defensive response feeds into another attack. Understanding Kiss of the Dragon is essential for any practitioner utilizing RDLR as a primary guard, as the threat alone forces opponents to modify their passing strategies and adopt lower, more conservative stances that open other offensive pathways.