18/07/2016 - BJJ Globetrotter Camp | Bournemouth 2016 | Passing de la Riva (David 'Morcegao')

Class #755
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Phoenix MMA), David 'Morcegao' George, Bournemouth, UK, 18/07/2016

David is a de la Riva black belt, so for his first class at the UK BJJ Globetrotter camp, he decided to talk about passing his instructor's famous eponymous guard. To start with some basics, when they insert their de la Riva hook, lower your base to stop them elevating you. You then want to get rid of any grips they've got, whether that's on the foot (grab the hand and pull up), the sleeve (roll your wrist over the top) or wherever. To pop their original hook off, turn your foot out and point your knee.

If they have a grip on the trouser leg, you can still turn your foot, so it isn't as much of a problem. A grip on the heel stops that, as they can pull the heel in towards them. There is a weak direction, however, if you can kick forwards. When they are tight to you, kicking forwards is blocked by their body. It is still possible to kick past their bum, freeing your foot that way. Bring it to you a little first, then scrape the leg past their bum. A pass around their leg then presents itself.

Even if they have de la Riva, with a leg drag, you may be able to crush straight through their hook. You might also be able to pop their hook off by simply straightening your leg explosively, if turning your knee outwards isn't viable. Yet another option is to give up on the pass and attack their leg instead, with a calf crush.

IBJJF rules don't let you do anything fun with the leg until brown belt, but that's only one ruleset, so you don't have to restrict yourself to that (as long as your partners are ok with leglocks). Personally leg locks terrify me so I never use them, but they're very effective and important to know, as people will do them to you (especially if you're brown belt or above, of course).

They have a deep de la Riva hook. Push their hooking knee down, roll through, your shoulder diving underneath their other leg, then extend for the submission. I wasn't entirely successful getting this, but it's useful to know that's a danger with the deep de la Riva: perhaps keep hold of their sleeves to stop them getting their leg lock position?