Reverse De La Riva (RDLR)

Quick Introduction

Reverse De La Riva (RDLR) is an open guard where your outside leg hooks around the outside of the opponent's lead leg — the mirror image of standard De La Riva, where the hook is on the inside. It is the staple entry point for the modern leg-lock game, K-guard, berimbolo from the reverse side, and a wide range of sweeps. Almost every serious competitor in the past decade has built a game off RDLR.

The position is sometimes labeled RDLR for short. You'll see it referenced in instructionals from Lucas Lepri, Keenan Cornelius, Lachlan Giles, Craig Jones, and the entire modern leg-lock school.

Position Overview

From: Seated open guard, opponent standing or in combat base | Used as: Entry to K-guard, leg locks (heel hook / kneebar), Berimbolo, back-takes, sweeps

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How to Establish RDLR

1. You're seated. Opponent is standing in a staggered stance — one leg forward
2. Slide your outside leg (the leg on the same side as their lead leg) around the OUTSIDE of their lead leg
3. Your foot hooks behind their knee or upper calf, heel pulling toward you
4. Your inside leg either posts on their hip (frame) or shields with the knee
5. With your near hand, grip their pant cuff or ankle on the hooked leg
6. With your far hand, grip their sleeve, lapel, or post on the ground for base
7. Maintain an angle — your shoulders perpendicular to their lead leg, not square

Three Primary Attacks from RDLR

1. To K-Guard (Leg Locks)

1. From RDLR, post your inside foot on their hip
2. Pull their hooked leg across your body using the cuff grip
3. Drop to your hip on the hook side, swinging your other leg up over their hip
4. Frame their head/shoulder with your free arm to clear the line
5. You're now in K-guard — entry to heel hooks, kneebar, calf slicer

2. Reverse Berimbolo (Back-Take)

1. From RDLR with deep hook + cuff grip
2. Invert toward the hooked side (roll over your shoulder)
3. Swing the free leg through to rotate their hips
4. Come up on their back — hooks in, seatbelt grip
5. Functionally identical to standard berimbolo, just from the opposite hook

3. Sit-Up Sweep / Tripod

1. From RDLR, opponent's weight settles on their lead leg
2. Push their far hip with your inside foot
3. Pull their lead leg toward you with the hook + cuff grip
4. Their lead leg buckles — they fall back/away
5. Come up on top, often into a leg-drag-pass position

Common Counters and Responses

Opponent's counter	RDLR response
Backsteps out of the hook	Switch to single-leg X or X-guard transition
Knee-cut pass attempt	Frame inside knee against their hip; the RDLR hook blocks the cut
Smash-passes the hooked leg	Invert immediately into K-guard
Stands tall, tries to leg-drag	Pummel for double sleeves, attack berimbolo

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Core Principles

1. Outside hook — RDLR hooks the OUTSIDE of their leg (regular DLR hooks the inside)
2. Heel pulls knee — the foot's job is to drag their knee toward you
3. Angle, not flat — you face their lead leg, not their centerline
4. Cuff/ankle grip is mandatory — without it, they step out for free
5. Launching point, not endpoint — RDLR is the doorway; pick K-guard / berimbolo / sweep based on their reaction

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Shallow hook on the calf	Hook deeper — foot behind the knee
Flat hips, no angle	Drive an angle by walking your butt around
No leg grip	Always grip the pant cuff or ankle of the hooked leg
Forcing the same exit every time	Read opponent's pressure: forward = K-guard; back = berimbolo; lateral = sweep

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When to Look For It

• Opponent stands in a staggered base (one leg forward) — RDLR is the natural counter
• You're playing a leg-lock-heavy game (RDLR → K-guard → ashi → heel hook is the modern blueprint)
• Competition with high passing pressure — RDLR turns their forward stance against them
• Less effective if opponent kneels in combat base with both knees down (use closed/half guard instead)

Next Steps

1. De La Riva — The mirror-image guard; learn both for a complete open-guard system
2. K-Guard — Primary destination from RDLR for leg attacks
3. Berimbolo — The signature back-take attack
4. Single Leg X — Adjacent guard reached when RDLR breaks down