Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD outlining how to get to the DLR and attack sweeps and leg locks, delivered by the reigning ADCC champ.
- Contains a system for leg pummeling that leads to inside guards and Ashi Garamoi.
- Offers a selection of sweeps, leg locks, and back exposure through the X-guard, K-guard, Bolos, and the 50/50.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.
FORGING THE DE LA RIVA GUARD GIANCARLO BODONI DVD GET HERE:
There are probably as many De la Riva guard instructionals out there as there are closed guard ones. I often refer to the DLR as the open guard counterpart to the full guard – everyone is going to use it at some point, regardless of whether they prefer to or not.
Digging through the rubble of DLR information out there and finding useful bits is hard, which is why we’re here to point out resources worth exploring. The De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD is good for beginners, ideal for intermediate grapplers, and useful for experts. After all, we’re talking about the reigning ADCC champ as the source here.
Outside Open Guard
These days, most people play overcomplicated hybrid guards that actually trap you as a guard player more than they allow you to move. This means you restrict your options of attacking, and when the person on top starts blocking them, you find yourself in a pickle.
Understanding what guards offer in terms of general positioning will lhelpo you determine what guard to use for a given situation. For the most part, the easiest way to organize guards is as outside guards (your legs on the outside of your partner’s body/legs) and inside guards (your legs between the opponent’s legs).
Both of these have limitations and advantages, but in general, inside ones are more dangerous as they present a direct threat of lower limb submissions and many more sweep threats. To that effect, transitioning from outside guards, which are easier to get to, into more effective inside ones is a strategy you should master.
That said, if you’re wondering where to start, the answer is with something easy and reliable. The De la Riva ticks both these boxes, plus it works with and without the Gi. A very good resource to organize your guard game around the DLR is the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.
Double ADCC World Champ Giancarlo Bodoni
Danaher’s New Wave bunch of athletes get extraordinary results on the mats but also cause an extraordinary amount of noise in the BJJ world. Gordon Ryan is synonymous with trash-talking by this point, and Big Dan seems to be following in his footsteps. I’m not even going to mention Meragali’s embarrassment.
The quiet guy in the bunch, who lets his performances and results do the talking, is Giancarlo Bodoni. Aged 29, Bodoni started off in Alliance but decided to jump on board with Danaher in Texas. It proved to be a great decision, with two consecutive ADCC world titles already added to his name.
Bodoni is a big guy with a very methodical game, favoring technique over explosion. Originally a black belt under Lucas Lepri, Bodoni is a skilled guard player with a closed guard skillset to match that of Roger Gracie. His open guard skills might actually be even better than his closed guard, as he clearly demonstrated in the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.
Forging The De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD Review
Bodoni delivers over two hours of material in the very detailed De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD. He uses lots of key concepts to guide you through the attacking options that the DLR offers in No-Gi while outlining the risks to be wary of at the same time:
Part 1 – Pummeling
A skill not often associated with the De la Riva guard is pummeling, and yet, it somehow seems to define modern BJJ attacks from the position. As the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD opens, Bodoni makes sure to provide you with an in-depth blueprint on coming on top of any pummel exchanges you might encounter while playing the guard.
With the DLR, it’s all about foot position, with the hook providing control and the free leg offering off-balancing opportunities but also being a leg-locking liability of sorts. Bodoni goes over several foot and knee pummeling scenarios that happen often, showing you how to keep your feet safe and not lose any of the control you have from the guard.
Part 2 – Ashi Exposure
Bodoni’s guard work very often leads to leg locks, but since Danaher’s Ashi system requires the hips of your opponent to be on the mats, it yields the much-welcome side effect of sweeping. This is exactly the relationship that he uncovers in the second part of the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.
Using the DLR as a starting position, Giancarlo offers several different sweeps, a route into the X-guard, and several reverse reap follow-ups that essentially create a mini system. Bodoni introduces some modifications to his X guard and also accounts for level changes, with the waiter sweep well hidden from the top person’s attention.
Part 3 – K Guard Bolos
As we get to part three, leg lock and Ashi entanglements continue, but now with everyone’s favorite show-stopping element – inversions. Bodoni shares lots of Bolos in this portion of the Giancarlo Bodoni De La Riva DVD, constantly adding more leg-locking threats.
In fact, he uses the K guard to launch his inversions, ending up in interesting positions, such as Kani Basami and the backside 50/50. All of the motions start in the DLR and feature pummeling, bringing the entire content presented in this instructional into the frame.
Part 4 – Connections and FAQs
As we reach the final part of the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD, the attention is on building an entire No-Gu guard game centered around the DLR, which is very easy to get into. Bodoni explains how he uses constant off-balancing to easily retain the guard as he looks to set up his attacks.
I liked a lot that he addressed the fallacies of playing the De la Riva guard in No-Gi, pinpointing the key risks and goals of the guard. As he brings the DVD to an end, Bodoni also talks about body positioning details that people often ask about, as well as how to optimally connect to the top person.
Forging an Unbeatable Guard
There is no such thing as an unbeatable guard. However, there is an advantage to playing the De la Riva guard that might make it seem unbeatable if you know what you are doing, especially in No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu.
At the end of the day, the goals from the guard are to get on top, on the back, or submit. You only want to keep the top player on your guard for as long as you need to achieve any of those. That means that one key guard tactic is not allowing the top player time to figure out how to break your guard.
Another thing to consider is not to get too carried away with a specific guard. Keep someone in half guard, and they only have your half guard to pass. Start in De la Riva, and you have access to just about any open guard you want, and even closed guards, depending on the situation. Bodoni covers this in-depth as he presents the material in the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD.
DOWNLOAD HERE: DE LA RIVA GUARD GIANCARLO BODONI DVD
A Bundle of Surprises!
Get to guard. That is your first priority when you find yourself with your back on the mats, intentional or not. Going for the DLR is usually the path of least resistance, as it is immediately available against standing opponents from a medium distance.
Getting the guard is not the issue, though, as much as what you do with it. That’s where the Forging the De La Riva Guard Giancarlo Bodoni DVD comes in, delivering a complete system that Bodoni has tested at the biggest possible stage of competitive grappling. And yes, the DLR is a great choice for No-Gi – pick up the instructions, and you’ll learn exactly why that is.
