De La Riva Sweep
Sweep · Open Guard
The basic De La Riva sweep from open guard to the top, for when the opponent's weight comes forward. Hook your outside leg around his lead leg from the outside, the hook deep behind the knee and active, pulling the knee toward you. Grip his far sleeve and the ankle of the hooked leg: the ankle grip pins that foot in the hook, the sleeve takes his far arm. Shrimp slightly toward the hook side for angle and pull the sleeve diagonally across your body so he cannot post. Off-balance him forward first, then push his far hip with your free foot while the hook lifts: with the ankle held the hooked leg cannot step back, and he falls backward over it. Square under him, the hook has no leverage. If he steps back, take the back from reverse De La Riva; if he sits low, go to the berimbolo.
How to do it
- Wrap your outside leg around their lead leg from the outside, the foot hooking the inside of the thigh (De La Riva hook), toes pointing out and the hook deep behind the knee.
- Grip the far sleeve and the ankle of the hooked leg: the ankle grip keeps that foot planted inside the hook, the sleeve takes away their far arm.
- Sit up slightly and shrimp toward the hook side to make the angle, pulling the far sleeve diagonally across your body so they cannot post on that hand.
- Off-balance them forward first with the sleeve and the hook, then push the far hip with your free foot while the hook lifts the hooked leg.
- With the ankle held, the hooked leg cannot step back to catch them: they fall backward over it, and you come up on top.
Key details
- The hook stays deep and active behind the knee, pulling their knee toward you: a passive hook is just a leg lying on theirs.
- Off-balance them forward first, then sweep: as they step back to recover, their weight is already going where you push it.
- Hold the ankle of the hooked leg so it cannot step out: that blocked foot is the point they fall over.
- Shrimp slightly toward the hook side to make the angle: square under them the hook has no leverage.
- Pull the far sleeve diagonally across your body so they cannot post with that hand to stop the fall.
- Keep tension in every limb: the heel grip stops him turning his knee out of the hook, and no leg goes slack before the push.
Common mistakes
- A shallow hook. — A shallow hook sits on the shin, so one kick shakes it off and they pass. — Hook to the back of the knee with the toes pointing out.
- Lying flat. — From the flat position the hook has no power, because your hips are not under the leg to pull and lift. — Sit up slightly toward the hooked leg so the hook can pull and lift.
- No ankle grip. — With the ankle free they simply step the foot out of the hook. — Grip the ankle of the hooked leg so the foot stays planted in the hook.
- Coming up with the De La Riva leg still wrapped around his leg. — Your leg stays tangled under him and he switches straight into an ankle lock on it. — As he falls, pull the hooking leg back out and come up into combat base, then pass.
How to drill it
DLR sweep and back take chain, 8 each side; then 1-minute rounds from DLR.
What comes next
Where it comes from