### Description of the Technique The **De La Riva Guard** is a popular open guard position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that emphasizes control and maneuverability. It is utilized to disrupt your opponent's base and initiate sweeps or transitions. Introduced by legendary practitioner Ricardo de la Riva, this guard is named after him. ### Steps to Perform De La Riva Guard 1. **Initial Positioning**: - Begin with your opponent standing (or kneeling) in front of you while you are on the ground. - Extend one of your legs to hook the inside of your opponent’s leg, wrapping your foot around their outside shin. 2. **Hooking the Leg Properly**: - Use the foot on the side of the leg you are hooking, creating a De La Riva hook around your opponent's leg. The aim is to off-balance them by controlling their lower body. 3. **Controlling the Sleeve (or Collar)**: - With the arm opposite to your De La Riva hook, grip your opponent’s sleeve or the collar of their gi (kimono) for added control and leverage. - Your free foot should be placed on their hip or knee to push against it, providing distance control. 4. **Use Your Other Leg**: - Your free leg should act as a guard or barrier, either by placing the foot on your opponent’s other thigh or shin, maximizing the control you have over their movement. 5. **Maintaining and Attacking**: - Use the pressure from your feet and grips to tilt your opponent off balance. - Lean your body slightly to the side opposite the De La Riva hook to prepare for sweeps or submission opportunities. 6. **Transitioning to Sweeps or Submissions**: - From the De La Riva guard, you can transition into multiple techniques such as: - **De La Riva Sweep**: Rotate your hips to use the De La Riva hook to trip your opponent backward or to their side. - **Berimbolo Transition**: Invert beneath your opponent for back-takes or to upset their base. ### Tips - **Maintain Constant Pressure**: Use your legs actively; alternate between pushing, pulling, and unbalancing your opponent. - **Stay Mobile**: Continuously adjust your hooks and grips to respond to your opponent's attempts to pass. - **Awareness of their grips**: Always be mindful of the opponent's attempts to control or pass your guard. This technique is highly effective at keeping an opponent at bay, controlling their base, and creating openings for attacks in an open guard setting.