De la riva guard

The De La Riva guard is a fundamental and widely adopted guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, developed in the 1980s by Ricardo de la Riva, a black belt under Carlson Gracie. Known for his creative and technical approach, De La Riva was an undersized competitor who relied on agility and technique to control larger opponents. Facing larger, standing opponents during matches, he experimented with hooking his leg around the outside of their lead leg, which allowed him to destabilize their base, create angles, and open opportunities for sweeps. Initially, this guard was unconventional and not widely understood, but De La Riva’s success in high-level competition began to popularize the technique. The guard soon became recognized for its versatility, particularly in gi grappling, where the practitioner can leverage lapel and sleeve grips to enhance control. The De La Riva guard allowed smaller grapplers to offset the size and strength advantage of larger opponents, and it became a staple technique in the BJJ community, especially for guard players who rely on open guard systems. Over the years, the De La Riva guard has evolved, inspiring numerous variations and counter-systems, including the Reverse De La Riva guard. Today, it is a core position taught in BJJ academies worldwide, widely used in both gi and no-gi formats, and remains a favored position among modern guard players for its strategic advantages in both control and attack options.