Reverse De La Riva Recovery

Reverse De La Riva Recovery is a critical defensive transition that allows practitioners to re-establish proper Reverse De La Riva guard structure when the opponent has begun to compromise the position. This technique is essential for maintaining guard retention when facing pressure passing attacks or when hooks and grips have been partially cleared. The recovery sequence focuses on hip movement, hook retention, and grip fighting to restore the fundamental control elements of RDLR guard.

The technique becomes necessary when opponents successfully clear the primary hook, establish strong shoulder pressure, or begin advancing their base to initiate a pass. Unlike static guard maintenance, recovery requires dynamic hip escape mechanics combined with strategic re-gripping to prevent the pass while simultaneously rebuilding guard structure. Understanding recovery sequences is often what separates intermediate practitioners who lose position from advanced players who can maintain guard under pressure.

Mastering RDLR recovery creates a safety net that allows more aggressive guard play. When you know you can recover the position even when partially compromised, you can take calculated risks with sweeps and submissions without fear of immediate guard passage. This recovery sequence integrates seamlessly with other guard retention concepts, making it a fundamental component of any complete bottom game.

Starting Position: Reverse De La Riva Guard Ending Position: Reverse De La Riva Guard Success Rates: Beginner 45%, Intermediate 60%, Advanced 75%

Key Principles

• Maintain at least one point of contact (hook or grip) at all times during recovery
• Use hip escape mechanics to create the angle necessary for hook reinsertion
• Prioritize recovering the RDLR hook before re-establishing secondary controls
• Control opponent’s near leg to prevent them from establishing strong base
• Create frames to manage distance while executing recovery movements
• Use grip fighting to prevent opponent from consolidating passing position
• Stay active and mobile rather than holding static defensive frames

Prerequisites

• Reverse De La Riva guard has been partially compromised or cleared
• At least one connection point remains (sleeve grip, pants grip, or partial hook)
• Opponent is attempting to advance position or consolidate a pass
• Space exists to execute hip escape movement
• You maintain awareness of opponent’s base and weight distribution

Execution Steps

1. Establish emergency frames: As soon as you recognize the RDLR position is compromised, immediately establish defensive frames using your arms to create distance. Place your bottom arm frame against opponent’s hip or knee, and your top arm frame against their shoulder or crossface attempt. These frames prevent them from consolidating pressure while you work to recover. (Timing: Immediate upon recognizing position compromise)
2. Execute hip escape: Perform a strong hip escape (shrimp) away from the opponent while maintaining your frames. Push off your outside foot to generate power and create the angle necessary for hook recovery. Your hips should rotate approximately 45-90 degrees away from the opponent, creating space for your RDLR leg to function. (Timing: Explosive movement coordinated with frame extension)
3. Recover RDLR hook: As you create space with the hip escape, thread your inside leg back underneath opponent’s near leg to re-establish the reverse De La Riva hook. Your foot should curve around their thigh with your heel pulling toward their far hip. The hook must be deep enough to control their leg and prevent forward pressure. (Timing: During or immediately after hip escape)
4. Control opponent’s near leg: With your outside hand, establish a strong grip on opponent’s near leg pants at the knee or lower thigh. This grip prevents them from stepping over your guard and helps control their base. Pull this leg slightly toward you while pushing with your frames to create opposing forces. (Timing: As soon as RDLR hook begins to engage)
5. Re-establish secondary controls: Once the primary RDLR hook is secure, work to recover your secondary controls. This typically means getting a sleeve grip with your bottom hand or establishing a collar grip. Your top leg can either post on the hip as a defensive frame or begin working toward a secondary hook position depending on opponent’s reaction. (Timing: After primary hook is secured and stable)
6. Reset guard structure: With hooks and grips re-established, adjust your body position to return to proper RDLR guard alignment. Your shoulders should be perpendicular to opponent, your RDLR hook should be controlling their base, and your grips should prevent them from posturing or initiating new passing sequences. From here, you can transition back to offensive attacks or continue playing defensive guard retention. (Timing: Final adjustment once all controls are re-established)

Opponent Counters

• Opponent drives forward with heavy shoulder pressure before you can hip escape (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Switch to an alternative recovery path using the Technical Standup or Granby Roll to create more dramatic angle change and escape the pressure line
• Opponent controls your RDLR leg and prevents hook reinsertion (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Transition to butterfly hooks or switch to opposite side guard recovery, accepting the position change rather than forcing a compromised RDLR recovery
• Opponent establishes strong crossface and prevents hip movement (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Fight the crossface with near arm, create an underhook if possible, and use this connection to generate enough space for a smaller hip adjustment before attempting full recovery
• Opponent steps back and pulls their leg free during recovery attempt (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow their backward movement by extending your RDLR leg further, potentially transitioning to a seated guard position or technical standup rather than allowing complete guard pass

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Attempting to recover the position while remaining stationary
  • Consequence: Opponent consolidates their passing position and establishes control before you can move
  • Correction: Immediately begin hip escape movement as soon as you recognize position compromise - recovery requires dynamic movement
• Mistake: Giving up all connection points simultaneously
  • Consequence: Complete loss of guard with no pathway to recovery
  • Correction: Always maintain at least one grip or hook during transitions, even if it means accepting a less-than-ideal connection temporarily
• Mistake: Focusing on grip fighting before re-establishing hooks
  • Consequence: Opponent passes while you fight for grips without proper hook structure to prevent advancement
  • Correction: Prioritize recovering the RDLR hook first, then work on optimizing grips from a structurally sound position
• Mistake: Using weak or passive frames that don’t create real distance
  • Consequence: Insufficient space to execute hip escape and hook recovery
  • Correction: Apply strong, active frames with locked elbows and drive through your shoulder to genuinely move opponent and create working space
• Mistake: Hip escaping toward opponent instead of away
  • Consequence: Movement actually helps opponent consolidate the pass rather than creating recovery space
  • Correction: Always shrimp away from pressure, creating angle and distance that makes hook reinsertion geometrically possible
• Mistake: Accepting a shallow or weak RDLR hook just to say position is recovered
  • Consequence: Opponent easily clears the insufficient hook and continues passing
  • Correction: Ensure the recovered hook is deep and functionally controlling before considering the position truly recovered - quality over speed

Training Progressions

Week 1-2: Fundamental Movement Patterns - Solo drilling of hip escape mechanics and hook reinsertion Practice hip escapes from bottom position without a partner, focusing on creating proper angles. Then add solo practice of threading the RDLR leg back to hook position from various compromised angles. Develop muscle memory for the core movements. (Resistance: None)

Week 3-4: Positional Flow Drilling - Partner flow drilling with cooperative recovery sequences Partner establishes RDLR guard, then allows you to compromise it slightly by clearing one grip or hook. Practice recovery sequence slowly, focusing on maintaining at least one connection point throughout. Partner provides light resistance but allows successful recovery. (Resistance: Light)

Week 5-6: Specific Scenario Training - Recovery against common passing attacks Partner attempts specific RDLR passes (knee cut, leg drag, over-under) and you practice identifying the moment of compromise and executing recovery. Partner gives 50% resistance, gradually increasing as your timing improves. Focus on early recognition and rapid response. (Resistance: Medium)

Week 7-8: Positional Sparring - Live resistance RDLR recovery scenarios Start in partially compromised RDLR positions with partner attempting to complete the pass at full intensity. You work to recover full guard structure or transition to alternative guards. 3-5 minute rounds with position reset after each successful pass or recovery. (Resistance: Full)

Week 9-12: Integration and Chain Development - Connecting recovery to sweep and submission sequences Practice recovering RDLR guard and immediately flowing to offensive attacks like the Kiss of the Dragon, RDLR sweeps, or transitions to X-guard. Develop the ability to use recovery momentum to create attacking opportunities rather than just defensive survival. (Resistance: Full)

Month 4+: Competition Application - Recovery under maximum pressure with consequences Full positional sparring where partner scores points for successful passes and you score for successful recoveries or sweeps. This creates realistic pressure where recovery must work under fatigue and stress. Integrate recovery sequences into your overall guard retention system. (Resistance: Full)

Variations

Granby Roll Recovery: When opponent’s pressure is too heavy for standard hip escape, perform a granby roll (reverse shoulder roll) to create dramatic angle change and space. This commits you to a more athletic movement but can escape situations where standard recovery is blocked. (When to use: Against heavy shoulder pressure or when opponent has controlled your standard hip escape movement)

Technical Standup Recovery: Instead of recovering to bottom RDLR guard, use the recovery sequence to stand up to a technical base position. This creates maximum distance and allows you to either re-engage standing or pull guard on your terms rather than fighting from a compromised bottom position. (When to use: When opponent has significantly advanced the pass and bottom recovery seems unlikely to succeed)

Butterfly Transition Recovery: Rather than fighting to re-establish RDLR specifically, use the hip escape to sit up and transition to butterfly hooks. This accepts a position change but maintains guard retention and can be more efficient when RDLR structure is severely compromised. (When to use: When opponent has cleared the RDLR hook completely and is driving forward with chest pressure)

Opposite Side Recovery: Instead of recovering the original RDLR position, use your hip escape to switch sides completely and establish RDLR on opponent’s other leg. This can confuse opponent’s passing strategy and create recovery opportunities when the original side is too controlled. (When to use: When opponent has committed heavy pressure and control to one side, leaving the opposite side vulnerable)

Test Your Knowledge

Q1: Why is maintaining at least one connection point critical during RDLR recovery? A: Maintaining at least one connection point (grip or hook) prevents complete guard passage and gives you a reference point to work from during recovery. Once all connections are lost, the opponent can establish passing position more easily and you lose the ability to influence their movement. That single connection allows you to maintain enough control to create the space and angles needed for full recovery.

Q2: What is the proper direction for hip escape during RDLR recovery and why? A: You should always hip escape away from the opponent, not toward them. Escaping away creates the angle and distance necessary for reinserting the RDLR hook and prevents you from moving into the direction of their pass. Moving toward them actually helps consolidate their position and makes your guard easier to pass. The escape should create approximately 45-90 degrees of rotation.

Q3: When should you prioritize transitioning to a different guard rather than forcing RDLR recovery? A: You should consider transitioning to alternative guards when the opponent has established strong controls that prevent hip movement (like heavy crossface with leg control), when they’ve cleared the RDLR hook completely and are driving forward, or when forcing the recovery would require so much energy that you’d be exhausted even if successful. Sometimes accepting a position change to butterfly, seated guard, or technical standup is more efficient than fighting for a severely compromised RDLR recovery.

Q4: How do frames function differently in RDLR recovery compared to static guard maintenance? A: In recovery situations, frames must be active and dynamic rather than passive barriers. They need to create genuine distance and movement rather than just preventing collapse. During recovery, you use frames to push opponent away while simultaneously executing hip escape, creating the space needed for hook reinsertion. Static frames without accompanying movement are insufficient for recovery situations where opponent already has forward momentum.

Q5: What is the relationship between RDLR recovery timing and overall guard retention success? A: Early recognition and immediate response are critical - the moment you recognize position compromise, you must begin recovery sequences. Waiting until the position is completely lost makes recovery exponentially more difficult. Advanced practitioners develop sensitivity to feel when hooks are weakening or grips are being cleared, allowing them to begin recovery movements preemptively. This early timing is often what separates those who maintain guard under pressure from those who get passed repeatedly.

Q6: Why is hook depth important even when recovering to a temporarily defensive position? A: Even during recovery, establishing a deep, functional RDLR hook is more valuable than quickly getting a shallow hook. A shallow hook will be immediately cleared again, wasting your energy and allowing opponent to continue their pass. A deep hook actually controls opponent’s leg and base, giving you a true platform to work from. It’s better to take slightly more time to recover a functional position than to rush into a non-functional one.

Safety Considerations

RDLR recovery techniques are generally low-risk but practitioners should be aware of potential knee and ankle stress. During hip escape movements, avoid explosive rotations that could strain the RDLR hook knee, especially if the opponent has significant weight on your leg. When reinserting the hook, ensure your ankle has flexibility to curve around opponent’s leg without forcing the position - tight ankles attempting deep hooks can result in ankle sprains. During training, communicate with partners about pressure levels, particularly when they’re driving forward during your recovery attempts. Partners should recognize taps or verbal cues if pressure becomes uncomfortable on the bottom player’s joints. As the bottom player, don’t sacrifice joint health to retain position - if recovery isn’t working, it’s better to accept the pass and reset than to force movements that could cause injury. Beginners should focus on technique and positioning rather than speed and power during initial learning phases.

Position Integration

RDLR Recovery is a critical component of comprehensive guard retention strategy and integrates with multiple defensive and offensive systems. This recovery sequence connects directly to the broader guard retention framework, where multiple layers of defense prevent opponents from passing. When RDLR is your primary guard, having reliable recovery sequences allows you to play the position more aggressively, knowing you can reset if attacks are defended.

The technique integrates with other guard recovery concepts like Butterfly Guard recovery, seated guard transitions, and technical standup sequences. Advanced practitioners develop decision trees where they can flow between these recovery options based on opponent’s pressure direction and grip configurations. RDLR recovery also connects to offensive sequences - many advanced players use the recovery hip escape movement to create angles for Kiss of the Dragon sweeps or transitions to X-guard, turning defensive recovery into offensive opportunity.

Within competition strategy, reliable RDLR recovery sequences reduce the psychological pressure of potentially losing position, allowing more calculated risk-taking with sweep and submission attempts. This recovery also integrates with modern leg entanglement defense, as recovering proper RDLR structure can prevent opponents from entering into leg lock positions during passing sequences.

Related Techniques

• De La Riva Guard - Related guard system with similar recovery principles
• Kiss of the Dragon - Alternative recovery path that transitions to back attack
• Technical Standup - Alternative recovery strategy when bottom recovery is compromised
• Guard Replacement - Broader guard retention concept that includes RDLR recovery
• Butterfly Guard - Alternative guard position to transition to during recovery
• De La Riva to X-Guard Transition - Follow-up transition from recovered RDLR position
• Single Leg X-Guard - Related guard system within leg entanglement family
• Berimbolo Entry - Advanced offensive option from recovered RDLR structure
• RDLR Pass - Understanding opponent’s passing strategy helps inform recovery timing
• Hip Escape - Core movement pattern essential for recovery execution
• Granby Roll - Alternative recovery movement for heavy pressure situations
• Shin Shield Recovery - Related guard retention concept for different guard systems

Expert Insights

• Danaher System: The concept of guard recovery represents a fundamental understanding of positional chess in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When we examine RDLR recovery from a systematic perspective, we must recognize that recovery is not simply returning to a previous position - it is the application of specific mechanical principles to rebuild structural advantages that have been compromised. The hip escape movement creates angular change that is geometrically necessary for hook reinsertion. Without this angle, the hook cannot physically pass underneath opponent’s leg. The frame mechanics create the distance that makes the angle meaningful. This is not random defensive movement - this is the systematic application of leverage principles to rebuild positional structure. Advanced practitioners understand that recovery sequences are predictive rather than reactive. They feel weight distribution changes and grip pressure variations that indicate incoming attacks, allowing them to begin recovery movements before position is completely compromised. This predictive recovery is vastly more efficient than reactive recovery and represents the difference between defensive survival and true positional control.
• Gordon Ryan: In competition, your guard recovery determines whether you can actually use your guard game under real pressure. I’ve won matches specifically because opponents couldn’t pass my guard even when they got close - and that’s entirely about having reliable recovery sequences. With RDLR specifically, I use the recovery hip escape as both defensive reset and offensive opportunity creation. When I hip escape during recovery, I’m looking to immediately transition to Kiss of the Dragon or go underneath for the leg drag counter. The recovery movement creates the angle I need for those attacks, so I’m never purely defensive. That’s the competition mindset you need - even when defending, you’re setting up your next attack. Against high-level opponents, they will compromise your RDLR structure repeatedly. The question is whether you can recover it faster than they can capitalize on the compromised position. That’s the meta-game of modern guard retention. I drill RDLR recovery constantly because it’s a high-percentage defensive sequence that also creates attacking opportunities. If you can’t recover your guard under pressure, you can’t compete at the highest levels. It’s that simple.
• Eddie Bravo: RDLR recovery is where a lot of traditional guard players struggle because they’re trying to perfectly rebuild the position instead of staying fluid and adapting. In the 10th Planet system, we look at recovery as flow between related positions rather than rigid restoration of exact structure. If my RDLR is getting smashed, maybe I granby roll into it and come up with a totally different angle, or maybe I accept the position change and switch to butterfly or even stand up. The key is maintaining movement and not getting fixated on making the exact original position work when it’s severely compromised. We also use RDLR recovery as a setup for leg attacks - when I hip escape to recover, I’m looking for opportunities to enter into leg entanglements if opponent overcommits to their pass. This creates a dilemma for them because aggressive passing opens up leg locks, but passive passing allows me to recover and sweep. Recovery sequences should create these kinds of dilemmas rather than just being pure defense. Keep moving, stay unpredictable, and turn defensive moments into offensive opportunities. That’s how you make recovery actually work in real situations against explosive athletes who aren’t going to let you slowly rebuild perfect position.