Berimbolo

Quick Introduction

The berimbolo is the defining sweep of modern competitive jiu-jitsu. From De La Riva guard, the bottom player inverts underneath the opponent, rotating their hips and either coming up on top or taking the back directly. Made famous by the Mendes brothers and the Atos team in the early 2010s, it has since become a staple of every serious competitor's open guard game.

The word berimbolo comes from Portuguese — a reference to the spinning motion of a berimbau (the musical bow used in capoeira).

Position Overview

From: De La Riva Guard (primary), Reverse De La Riva | Finish: Sweep to top, or back-take with hooks

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The Standard Berimbolo (from De La Riva)

1. You're seated with a De La Riva hook on opponent's far leg (your near leg around their lead leg, foot hooking the back of their thigh)
2. Same-side hand grips their pant cuff or sleeve to kill the posting arm
3. Other hand grips their belt, lapel, or their other pant cuff
4. Pull yourself under them by rolling toward the DLR-hook shoulder
5. As you invert, swing your free leg through, keeping the DLR hook anchored
6. Your hips pass under theirs — they cannot post because their leg is hooked
7. You land on the opposite shoulder, having rotated their hips 180°
8. From here: come up on top (sweep) or thread legs in for back hooks

Key detail: The DLR hook is the entire lever. If it slips during the inversion, you lose the rotation and end up turtled.

Berimbolo to Back-Take

1. Complete the inversion as above
2. As their hips rotate, their back exposes
3. Walk your top knee up the back side as a hook
4. Second hook follows — you're now on the back
5. Seatbelt grip locks the position

This is the "true" berimbolo finish in competition — back points + potential submission. Coming up on top is the safer Plan B.

Berimbolo to Crab Ride

1. Mid-inversion, instead of completing the rotation, hook your top leg between their legs
2. Use both legs to ride their hips from underneath (crab ride)
3. From crab ride: continue to back, or sweep to top

Defending Counter-Attacks

Counter	Response
Opponent jumps over (leapfrog pass)	Switch to butterfly or hip-up sweep before inverting
Opponent grips your collar to stop the roll	Strip the grip first; berimbolo needs free torso
Opponent backsteps out of DLR	Switch to RDLR-based berimbolo
Opponent flattens you mid-roll	You've inverted too early — wait for weight commitment

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Core Principles

1. Hook is the lever — DLR hook must stay anchored through the whole inversion
2. Kill the post arm — pant cuff or sleeve grip on the same side prevents recovery
3. Invert under, not around — your hips pass beneath theirs, not to the side
4. Two exits — sweep or back-take, decide based on their reaction
5. Timing on the roll — invert when their weight is committed forward, not before

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
DLR hook slipping during inversion	Hook deep (foot wraps around back of thigh); keep tension
Inverting against a backstepping opponent	Switch to RDLR-berimbolo or another DLR attack
Free arm not controlling their leg/pant	Grip pant cuff or belt before rolling
Taking the back from wrong angle	If hips don't rotate cleanly, finish as a sweep instead

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When to Look For It

• Opponent standing in your DLR guard
• You have strong sleeve/cuff control on the same side as the DLR hook
• Modern competition rule sets (IBJJF, ADCC) — high-percentage scoring play
• Less effective in no-gi without cuff/sleeve grips — use single-leg X or X-guard transitions instead

Next Steps

1. De La Riva — Master the parent position
2. Reverse De La Riva — The other entry point for berimbolo
3. Back Mount — Finish destination for the back-take version
4. DLR Sweep — Lower-risk DLR attack when berimbolo isn't on