De la Riva guard, often shortened to DLR, is an open-guard position from which the bottom player hooks one leg around the outside of the opponent's standing leg. The hook wraps from the outside in, with the foot pointing across the opponent's body, and is paired with grips on the sleeve and the ankle. The position is named after Ricardo de la Riva Goded, the Brazilian black belt who developed and popularized the guard in the 1980s.
How it works (mechanics)
De la Riva guard works by attacking the opponent's base and posture. The outside hook on the standing leg prevents the opponent from stepping back or turning their hips away, while the grips control the upper body and limit the ability to drive forward. With base disrupted in both directions, the opponent becomes vulnerable to a wide range of sweeps and back takes.
The position is unusual among open guards because it does not rely primarily on pushing the opponent away. Most open guards use the feet on the hips or shoulders as long-range frames. DLR instead pulls the opponent in close on one side while controlling the standing leg, creating an asymmetric position that the passer's defensive structures are not naturally designed to handle. This asymmetry is the source of the position's high sweep percentage.
De la Riva is also a transitional position. From DLR, the bottom player can move to reverse de la Riva, single-leg X, the back, the omoplata, and several sweeps to top position. Rather than being a static guard to defend from, modern DLR is used as a hub from which other attacks are launched.
When to use it (setups)
De la Riva is most effective against a standing passer who maintains a square stance and uses pant grips to control the legs. The hook wraps naturally around the lead leg of any passer who steps in to grip. It is also a strong response to the torreando or bullfighter pass, because the outside hook prevents the side-step that the pass requires.
The guard is especially dominant in the gi, where sleeve and collar grips amplify the control. It works in no-gi as well using wrist control and shin-on-shin frames, but the lack of friction makes the position somewhat more dynamic and less of a long-hold control. DLR pairs naturally with collar-sleeve, spider, and lasso guards in modern gi competition.
Common errors
- Letting the DLR hook flop loose instead of actively pointing the foot across the opponent's body to engage the calf.
- Holding the position passively without threatening sweeps or back takes, allowing the passer to settle and grip-fight.
- Letting the opponent fully square their hips, which neutralizes the asymmetry that makes the guard work.
- Releasing the sleeve grip too early, which gives the opponent the posting hand needed to escape sweeps.
Variations
Reverse de la Riva (RDLR), in which the hook wraps inside the opponent's leg instead of outside, is the close cousin that has become equally important in modern guard play. The deep de la Riva places the hook behind the opponent's far hip for back takes and berimbolos. DLR X-guard, DLR to single-leg X, and DLR to omoplata are all major transitional pathways. The berimbolo, one of the defining techniques of modern sport jiu-jitsu, is built directly out of deep de la Riva.
Who's known for it
Ricardo de la Riva himself developed and named the position in the 1980s while training at the Carlson Gracie academy. The Mendes brothers, Rafael and Guilherme, built the modern competitive de la Riva game in the 2000s, including the berimbolo system that revolutionized lightweight sport jiu-jitsu. The Miyao brothers and Caio Terra have also been central figures in advancing DLR as a complete system rather than a single position.