Reverse de la Riva
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Reverse De La Riva·Energia Martial Arts·Added by Admin
Reverse de la Riva Here we'll be showing you a basic setup, position and 3 different sweeps from the Reverse de la Riva …
Reverse De La Riva
Genusリバースデラヒーバ(Ribāsu Dera Hība)
TransliterationTranslation: reverse De La Riva
Overview
The Reverse De La Riva positions the guard player with the DLR hook wrapped around the opponent's lead leg from the inside rather than the outside, with the foot hooking behind the knee from the opposite direction. [1] The reverse DLR provides different sweeping angles than the standard DLR and is frequently used as a transitional position to berimbolo attacks, kiss of the dragon entries, and deep half guard. [1],[2] It is particularly effective against opponents who step their leg back to counter the standard DLR hook. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
The reverse De La Riva guard is highly effective as a counter to knee-cut passes, using an inside hook on the lead leg to disrupt the pass and create back take opportunities. [1]
Lineage
Competition Record
Reverse De La Riva guard is used in modern BJJ competition as a complement to the standard RDLR. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Using the legs and hips to control the opponent from the bottom — maintaining distance management and attack angles
Joints Involved — Hips (primary engine for sweeps and attacks), knees (framing and hooking), ankles (secondary hooks)
Force Vector — Pulling, framing, and hip-escaping — creating angles for attacks while preventing passing
Positional Mechanic — The guard is an active offensive position — leg control compensates for bottom positioning by threatening sweeps and submissions
Position & Entry
From guard retention — When opponent starts to pass, trap one leg between your legs to establish half guard
From sweep attempt — After a failed sweep, retain the position by securing half guard control on one leg
Variants
Standard half guard — one leg trapped between both legs with an underhook
Deep half guard — fully under the opponent with the leg fully entangled
Lockdown half guard — figure-four leg lock on the trapped leg (10th Planet)
Z-guard (knee shield) — knee across the opponent's chest creating a frame
Videos
Reverse De La Riva - BJJ Technique by John Danaher
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Reverse De La Riva·BJJ Fanatics
REVERSE DE LA RIVA - BJJ Technique by John Danaher https://www.bjjfanatics.com In this BJJ Techniqes video, John Danahe…
Espen Mathiesen Reverse De La Riva Overview
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Reverse De La Riva·JonThomasBJJ
This video Espen Mathiesen shows his basic foundations for controlling the reverse de la riva position. This is a powerf…
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The Reverse De La Riva is a modern guard system where the inside leg hooks the opponent's outer thigh with a shoelace connection, functioning primarily as a defensive tool against knee slice passing. Energia Martial Arts emphasizes the guard's mechanical fundamentals: the bottom player uses hamstring pressure on the opponent's shin while controlling the heel, maintaining an on-side body position to eliminate gaps, and keeping the non-hooking foot in the opponent's armpit to prevent foot lock threats. The position branches into three sweep categories based on opponent reaction—disengaging (triggering a tripod sweep), full engagement with pressure (leading to a tumbling sweep), and angle-making (requiring a transition to X-guard). BJJ Fanatics and JonThomasBJJ approach the guard from the passer's perspective, focusing on removing the shoelace connection by establishing inside elbow or knee position below the opponent's knee, then moving into split squat or similar passing configurations. JonThomasBJJ introduces a strategic framework dividing the position into three levels: knee-on-ground (level one, emphasizing weight transfer and back-take attacks), heel-elevated drive (level two, using opponent momentum against them), and standing posture (level three, employing underhooks and leg attacks). All three instructors agree on the guard's critical utility within broader guard systems and its effectiveness when adapted to individual gripping styles (collar, spider, lasso). Energia Martial Arts and JonThomasBJJ emphasize reading opponent positioning and adjusting technique accordingly, while BJJ Fanatics stresses the consistent principle of inside position acquisition regardless of which limb accomplishes it.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Energia Martial Arts — Reverse de la Riva: Detailed control mechanics from the bottom position, including three fundamental sweeps based on opponent reactions (disengaging, engaging, angle-making), body positioning to prevent passes, grip fighting principles, and transition to X-guard when needed.
- BJJ Fanatics — Reverse De La Riva - BJJ Technique by John Danaher: Defense-focused analysis of the guard from the passer's perspective, emphasizing removal of the shoelace connection through inside elbow or knee position, distinction between effective and ineffective foot positioning, and multiple viable passing paths.
- JonThomasBJJ — Espen Mathiesen Reverse De La Riva Overview: Structural framework categorizing the position into three operational levels (knee-on-ground, heel-elevated, standing), technique adaptation per level, weight transfer and back-take mechanics, and guard-to-guard transitions from daily heave and collar sleeve.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
2
Low2/10
Guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— IJF — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — ground...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from ...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points por...
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — no penalty for playing guard
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Reverse de la Riva (RDLR) hooks the opponent's lead leg from the inside (opposite direction of standard DLR) — the hook goes between the opponent's legs from inside to outside (Caio Terra, Modern Jiu-Jitsu, 2010s)
✓RDLR is the primary guard against the knee-slice pass: the hook behind the lead knee prevents the knee from advancing
✓The RDLR hook wraps the near leg behind the opponent's lead knee from the inside, with the instep on the outer thigh
✓From RDLR, the primary attacks are: kiss of the dragon (invert to take the back), RDLR sweep (push-pull off-balance), and deep half entry
✓RDLR is a reactive guard: it is typically established when the opponent begins a passing sequence, not as a starting guard
✓The relationship between DLR and RDLR: when the opponent switches their lead leg or passes to the other side, DLR becomes RDLR
✓RDLR is essential for modern guard retention — it is the guard that stops knee-slice and pressure passes
Common Mistakes
!Using RDLR as a primary starting guard — it is a reactive guard best used to counter passes
!Not maintaining the hook when the opponent tries to clear it — fight to keep the RDLR hook active
!Playing RDLR without upper body grips — the hook alone is insufficient; add collar-sleeve or frame grips
!Not inverting for the kiss of the dragon — the back-take from RDLR is the highest-percentage attack
!Keeping the hips flat in RDLR — turn to the side and elevate for better hook placement
!Using RDLR against a kneeling opponent — RDLR works best against a standing or combat-base opponent
!Not chaining RDLR with deep half guard — the transition between RDLR and deep half is a fundamental chain
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Achieve Guard Contact — establish leg control around or against the opponent
2Control Grips — secure sleeve, collar, or wrist control for manipulation
3Manage Distance — use legs and grips to control the range and prevent passing
4Threaten Submissions/Sweeps — create offensive threats to keep the opponent reactive
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] IBJJF Rules (2024) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [3] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003)
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] IBJJF Rules (2024) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [3] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip flexibility, active legs, grip management
Favours
long legs for distance control and guard retention
Key muscles
hip flexors, adductors, quadriceps, core, grip
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I break my opponent's grip when they're controlling me in Reverse De La Riva?
According to John Danaher, always pop the grip in the direction your opponent's thumb points—never try to go down, as that's the strongest direction of their grip. Breaking toward the thumb direction works every time.
What do I do if I can't get my hand inside the knee to pass?
John Danaher explains that you don't have to use your hand in the inside position—you can use almost anything, including your second knee, to achieve the same passing position effectively.
What should I do if my opponent fully engages and puts their weight on me?
According to Energia Martial Arts, don't stay in Reverse De La Riva—switch to X Guard instead. Keep your knee high to prevent them from getting an angle and sprawling into half guard, then make the transition by lifting them up rather than pushing them to the side.
How do I maintain control once I've established the Reverse De La Riva hook?
Energia Martial Arts emphasizes keeping your hand underneath the opponent's leg and maintaining constant tension—if you both let go and go for the top position, your opponent will likely win or you'll end up in a scramble.
How does the Reverse De La Riva work?
The Reverse De La Riva positions the guard player with the DLR hook wrapped around the opponent's lead leg from the inside rather than the outside, with the foot hooking behind the knee from the opposite direction. The reverse DLR provides different sweeping angles than the standard DLR and is frequently used as a transitional position to berimbolo attacks, kiss of the dragon entries, and deep half guard.
Where does the Reverse De La Riva come from?
The reverse De La Riva guard developed as a natural counter-position within the DLR guard system, gaining prominence as berimbolo and inverted guard play became dominant in lightweight BJJ competition. It is now a standard component of modern open guard systems.
Is the Reverse De La Riva legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from guard score 2 points; IJF: restricted — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — groundwork from guard permitted …; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points portion; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — no penalty for playing guard; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Reverse De La Riva?
Danger rating 2/10. Low — guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
How do I set up the Reverse De La Riva?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.
How do I defend against the Reverse De La Riva?
Standard counters include: Guard Pass — systematically work to clear the legs and establish a dominant position / Leg Pin — control one or both legs to neutralize guard retention / Pressure Passing — use heavy chest pressure to flatten and immobilize the guard player.
What are the variants of the Reverse De La Riva?
Common variants: Standard half guard (one leg trapped between both legs with an underhook); Deep half guard (fully under the opponent with the leg fully entangled); Lockdown half guard (figure-four leg lock on the trapped leg (10th Planet)); Z-guard (knee shield) (knee across the opponent's chest creating a frame).
How effective is the Reverse De La Riva in competition?
Reverse De La Riva guard is used in modern BJJ competition as a complement to the standard RDLR.
What are common mistakes when doing the Reverse De La Riva?
Top errors to watch for: Using RDLR as a primary starting guard — it is a reactive guard best used to counter passes / Not maintaining the hook when the opponent tries to clear it — fight to keep the RDLR hook active / Playing RDLR without upper body grips — the hook alone is insufficient; add collar-sleeve or frame grips / Not inverting for the kiss of the dragon — the back-take from RDLR is the highest-percentage attack.
What are other names for the Reverse De La Riva?
The Reverse De La Riva is also known as Ribāsu Dera Hība, Reverse DLR, RDLR, Berimbolo Guard.