Purple belt · Guard · Core
De La Riva guard: hook and control
You hook one of their legs from the outside and hold the ankle while your other foot pushes their hip. Use it when they stand in your open guard and you want a base for sweeps and X-guard.
Step by step
- Sit facing them. When they step in with a lead leg, grab that ankle with your same-side hand and pull it to your hip.
- Wrap your outside leg around the outside of that leg and hook your foot on the inside of their thigh. Your knee points out.
- Put your other foot on their far hip and grip their far wrist with your free hand.
- Scoot your hips in close to the ankle you hold, so you sit almost under their lead leg.
- Push the far hip and pull with the hook to keep them on one foot. When they lean in, slide under to X-guard.
Details that make it work
- The ankle grip and the hook work together. If either goes loose, they step out.
- Your far foot pushes while the hook pulls. That split is what breaks their balance.
Common mistakes
- Sitting far away, so the hook has no leverage.
- Letting your hooked knee fall inward, which opens a knee cut.
Drill it
3 rounds of 2 minutes: partner walks and tries to step out, you keep the hook and ankle grip.
If it fails, or what comes next
- X-guard entry and technical stand-up sweep Sweep · Butterfly
- Single-leg X sweep Sweep · Seated guard
- Reverse De La Riva sweep and back exposure Sweep · Seated guard
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