The De La Riva Guard is one of those positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that give you a lot of options… If only you learn how to play it right. However, some beginners find this guard to be notoriously difficult to learn – mostly due to the fact that there are a lot of factors (and possibilities!) involved in playing it properly.
But if you’re someone who wants to explore more opportunities with the Gi, then you simply have to learn the De La Riva Guard. Jon Thomas, a black belt under Romero Cavalcanti (Jacaré) and Lucas Lepri, explains the DLR system in great details below.

DE LA RIVA GUARD IN 7 MINUTES

First things first: the grips. Thomas explains that one of your grips needs to be on the opponent’s same-side sleeve, while the other one is going to be on their heel. Now, the side you have the your heel grip in place is the same side where you’ll establish your De La Riva hook.
This hook has got to be strong. If you’re having trouble making it strong enough, then make sure to hop on over to this article which will solve your problem.

If your opponent hides their hand so that you can’t grip it, you need to go for the collar. Simply prop yourself up on your heel-grip elbow to reach higher. And if they are posturing so much so that you can’t even grip their collar, then great! You can immediately hook behind both of their knees and set up a simple sweep… As well as get the sweep while your De La Riva hook is still in place, going for the Caio Terra Ankle Lock.
Check out how to do this on the video below, as well as many other important details on this guard:

Master The Basic Concepts And Systematic Approaches To The De La Riva Guard With The Only American Multiple-Time Black Belt World Champion Mikey Musumeci.

• Study All The Important Details For The Mechanics And De La Riva Basics From Multiple-Time Black Belt World Champion Mikey Musumeci.
• Learn The Two Basic Gripping Families That Will Create Your System For The De La Riva Guard.

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