The de la Riva guard is one of the most dreaded and studied guards there is. Photo by Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG
If your training partner pulls de la Riva guard on you, it’s time for those alarm bells to start ringing, gentle reader.
That’s right, because he may be getting set to stick you in berimbolo and head for your back, or slap a sweep on you and start pressuring you from the top.
First you need to stay calm, because there’s always an escape for whatever Jiu-Jitsu situation you’re in. The trick to putting the guard player through the wringer and avoiding the berimbolo or sweep is to be swift in responding by posturing up.
As taught by Vitor Toledo, an instructor on Atos Jiu-Jitsu team, the trick is to break the neck grip and counter, which can even result in you taking the back and finishing.
Put it to practice, and let us know if it worked for you in training.
