A Basic De La Riva Sweep
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De La Riva Sweep·Tarik BJJ
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De La Riva Sweep
SubFamilyデラヒーバスイープ(Dera Hība Suīpu)
TransliterationTranslation: De La Riva sweep
Overview
The De La Riva Sweep subfamily covers sweeps from the De La Riva guard, where the guard player hooks one leg around the opponent's lead leg from the outside while controlling the ankle of that leg. [1] The DLR guard provides powerful off-balancing capability because the hook and ankle control can stretch the opponent's base and manipulate their posture. [1],[2] DLR sweeps include direct sweeps (pulling the opponent over the hook), baby bolo variations (mini-inversion sweeps), and transitions to berimbolo back takes. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
De La Riva sweeps are among the most effective open guard sweeps in gi BJJ, using the signature DLR hook (foot hooked behind the opponent's lead leg from the outside) to control distance and create sweeping angles. [1] The DLR guard is one of the most widely used open guard systems in competition BJJ. [1],[2]
Lineage
The De La Riva guard and its sweeps were developed by Ricardo De La Riva in the 1980s in Rio de Janeiro. [1] De La Riva began using the hooking guard in competition to neutralise larger opponents' passing pressure. [1] The guard system was further developed by his students and became one of the most influential guard innovations in BJJ history. [2]
Competition Record
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Breaking the opponent's leg control to advance to a more dominant position
Joints Involved — Hips (posture and pressure), knees (opening the guard with knee-in or standing), hands (grip fighting)
Force Vector — Forward pressure (stack/smash) or backward posture (stand-up break) to open the closed guard
Passing Mechanic — Once the guard is opened, speed passing, pressure passing, or toreando passing advances the position
Position & Entry
From bottom side control — Create frames with the forearms against the opponent's neck and hip, hip escape (shrimp) to create space, insert the knee to recover guard
From underhook escape — Swim the near arm to an underhook, bridge into the opponent and come to knees or reverse
From opponent's transition — When the opponent moves to mount or north-south, use the movement to create space and escape
Videos
De La Riva Sweep (1 of 3)
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De La Riva Sweep·The Grappling Academy
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Sweeps reverse position from bottom; moderate impact on landing for top player
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— Unified MMA — Legal defensive/transitional technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— IBJJF — Legal
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— UWW — Legal
UWW International Wrestling Rules, January 2026PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓De la Riva sweeps use the DLR hook (foot hooks behind the opponent's lead leg from the outside) combined with ankle grips to sweep the standing opponent (Ricardo de la Riva, DLR Guard System)
✓The DLR hook is the foundation: your outside foot hooks behind the opponent's lead knee from the outside, creating a lever
✓Basic DLR sweep: hook the lead leg, grip the far ankle, pull the ankle toward you while lifting with the hook — the opponent falls backward
✓De la Riva guard is the most established open guard system — it has been developed over 30+ years of competition
✓DLR sweeps work against standing opponents primarily — the hook leverages against their standing balance
✓Grips in DLR: far ankle grip (essential), collar or sleeve grip (secondary control)
✓The DLR hook prevents the opponent from stepping back with the hooked leg — they can only move forward or sideways
✓De la Riva sweeps chain into berimbolo, back takes, and single-leg entries — the position is an offensive hub
✓In competition, DLR is the most commonly played open guard at purple belt and above
Common Mistakes
!Playing DLR without the far ankle grip — the ankle grip is essential for controlling the opponent's base
!Hooking too shallow — the DLR hook must be deep behind the knee for maximum leverage
!Lying flat on the back in DLR — maintain active hips and an angled body
!Not using the non-hooking foot — the free foot should be on the opponent's hip or bicep for control
!Only sweeping in one direction — DLR offers sweeps forward, backward, and to both sides
!Not transitioning when the opponent disengages the hook — have a backup guard ready
!Using DLR against a kneeling opponent — DLR is designed for standing opponents; use butterfly or half guard for kneeling
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Control Grips — establish the controlling grips needed to load the sweep
2Off-Balance — shift the opponent's weight to the target direction
3Execute Sweep — apply the sweeping mechanic to topple the opponent
4Follow to Top — ride the sweep momentum to establish top position
Sources & References
Primary Source
Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Techniques (Marcelo Garcia, 2011)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Common abbreviation in BJJ community [2] Named after Ricardo De La Riva [3] Brazilian Portuguese name
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Renzo Gracie & Royler Gracie, 2001) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Common abbreviation in BJJ community [2] Named after Ricardo De La Riva [3] Brazilian Portuguese name
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Renzo Gracie & Royler Gracie, 2001) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
Community
Athletics
Requires
timing, hip power, off-balancing skill
Favours
strong hips and active legs for sweeping leverage
Key muscles
hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, core rotators
Sub-techniques
Baby Bolo Sweep
GenusThe Baby Bolo Sweep is a De La Riva guard sweep that uses a small inversion (a 'mini-berimbolo') to off-balance and sweep the opponent without committing to a full berimbolo back-take rotation. [1] The guard player hooks the DLR, initiates a small inversion by pulling the hips over the shoulders, but instead of completing the full berimbolo spin, uses the partial inversion to off-balance the opponent and come up on top for the sweep. [1,2] The baby bolo is effective because it uses the berimbolo's off-balancing power without requiring the full inversion that can be risky against experienced opponents. [2,3]
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Standard De La Riva Sweep
GenusThe Standard De La Riva Sweep executes the fundamental DLR guard sweep by using the DLR hook to stretch and off-balance the opponent backward, controlling the ankle of the hooked leg while pulling the opponent forward with the upper body grip, then sweeping them over the hook. [1] The guard player extends the DLR hook to push the opponent's leg away, breaking their base, while simultaneously pulling the upper body forward with a collar or belt grip. [1,2] The combination of the push on the leg and the pull on the upper body creates a rotational force that tips the opponent over. [2,3]
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the key foot position for the De La Riva sweep?
The foot hooking the inside of your opponent's thigh is crucial—it helps turn their knee slightly to the side, which is essential for setting up the sweep. Tarik BJJ emphasizes that this foot placement is what initiates the directional change needed for the technique to work.
Should I immediately try to pass after sweeping?
No—The Grappling Academy instructor advises against getting greedy and going for passes right away. Instead, establish a solid position with a cross-face grip and control before attempting to complete your pass.
What should I do if my opponent is gripping my leg?
Break their grip first before proceeding with your sweep setup. The Grappling Academy emphasizes maintaining control of the grips throughout the technique.
How does the De La Riva Sweep work?
The De La Riva Sweep subfamily covers sweeps from the De La Riva guard, where the guard player hooks one leg around the opponent's lead leg from the outside while controlling the ankle of that leg. The DLR guard provides powerful off-balancing capability because the hook and ankle control can stretch the opponent's base and manipulate their posture.
Where does the De La Riva Sweep come from?
The De La Riva guard was developed and named after Ricardo De La Riva, who used this guard innovatively in competition in the 1980s and 1990s. The position revolutionised open guard play and spawned an entire family of techniques including the berimbolo.
Is the De La Riva Sweep legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive/transitional technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal; IJF: legal — Legal; ADCC: legal — Legal; UWW: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the De La Riva Sweep?
Danger rating 3/10. Moderate — sweeps reverse position from bottom; moderate impact on landing for top player
How do I set up the De La Riva Sweep?
The standard setup chain: Control Grips → Off-Balance → Execute Sweep → Follow to Top.
How do I defend against the De La Riva Sweep?
Standard counters include: Base and Posture — maintain wide base and upright posture to resist the sweep / Grip Strip — break controlling grips before the sweep can be loaded / Back Step — retreat the leg being attacked to remove the sweep fulcrum.
What are the variants of the De La Riva Sweep?
Common variants: Standard sweep (primary off-balancing and reversal technique from the guard); Combination sweep (chaining two sweep directions to catch the opponent's adj…); Counter sweep (sweeping as the opponent initiates a guard pass attempt); Competition sweep (optimised for point-scoring in tournament settings).
How effective is the De La Riva Sweep in competition?
Ricardo De La Riva himself used the guard extensively in competition in the 1980s-90s. The De La Riva guard and its sweeps have since become one of the most commonly used guard systems in IBJJF World Championship competition at all belt levels.
What are common mistakes when doing the De La Riva Sweep?
Top errors to watch for: Playing DLR without the far ankle grip — the ankle grip is essential for controlling the opponent's base / Hooking too shallow — the DLR hook must be deep behind the knee for maximum leverage / Lying flat on the back in DLR — maintain active hips and an angled body / Not using the non-hooking foot — the free foot should be on the opponent's hip or bicep for control.
What are other names for the De La Riva Sweep?
The De La Riva Sweep is also known as Dera Hība Suīpu, DLR Sweep, De La Riva Guard Sweep, Guarda De La Riva.