RDLR Spin Under Sweep
Sweep · Open Guard
An inverted sweep from reverse De La Riva in open guard to the top or the back, for when the opponent leans forward over you. Stay on your side gripping his far pants or belt and the heel of the near leg. Push him away with the reverse De La Riva foot first so he reacts by leaning forward into you, and break his balance with the posting leg and the heel grip. As he leans forward, roll onto your shoulders under him, never your neck, letting the belt grip pull you around. Spin your hips toward his far leg and hook it while your reverse De La Riva hook lifts the near leg: with both legs taken he tips over. Without the belt grip you roll away from him. If he sits down on you, enter single leg X; if he turns away, take the back from reverse De La Riva.
How to do it
- In reverse De La Riva, grip the far pants or belt and the near ankle (heel), staying on your side.
- Push them away with the RDLR foot first, then, using the posting leg and the heel grip, break their balance so they lean forward over you.
- When they lean forward, roll onto your shoulders under them, never onto your neck, letting the belt grip pull you around under them.
- Spin your hips toward their far leg and hook it, keeping your shoulders under their hips as you turn.
- Pull the far leg as your RDLR hook lifts the near leg; with both legs taken from under them, they tip over.
- Come up on top or to their back, following the direction of the spin.
Key details
- Their forward lean is the moment to spin: their weight is already over you, so the spin takes them with you.
- Roll on your shoulders, never on the neck.
- The belt grip pulls you around under them: without it you roll away from them.
- Push them away with the RDLR foot first, then dive the underhook under the lead leg: the push makes them react forward into you.
- Use the posting leg and the heel grip to break their balance: no kuzushi, no sweep.
- If you cannot get up on your shoulders, grip his heel instead and roll onto the opposite shoulder, pulling his weight across you: you spin out toward his back without a full inversion.
Common mistakes
- Spinning without a belt grip. — Nothing anchors you to them, so you roll away from them instead of under them. — Grip the belt or the far pants before you spin.
- Spinning while they stand tall. — A tall base does not tip over, because their weight is over their feet, not over you. — Wait for the lean, or use the tornado sweep instead.
- Rolling onto the neck. — It is slow and risky for your spine. — Drill solo inversions until the shoulders carry you.
How to drill it
Solo inversions 3 × 10, then 6 spin-under sweeps each side on a cooperative partner.
Safety
Inversions load the neck: build them gradually and skip with neck problems.
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