Key Takeaways
- A Gi BJJ instructional covering the use of De la Riva guard for competitive purposes.
- Contains details on positioning, control, and transitioning into other guards such as Single Leg X and Shin-to-Shin.
- Includes sweeps in multiple directions, upper and lower body submissions.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 7 out of 10.a
DYNAMIC DE LA RIVA GUARD OTAVIO SOUSA DVD HERE:
De la Riva is the most common, and most mispronounced open guard in the history of the sport of BJJ. Regardless of how you say it, you’ll need to have an idea of how it works, if nothing else, then to be aware of what you need to shut down when you want to pass it.
With so many De la Riva instructional out there, why should you go for the Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD exactly? Well, for starters, nobody plays the position better than Brazilians who’ve come up with the Gracies. Next, if someone is a multiple-time World champion, and has dedicated their life to BJJ, it’s a good bet they know what they’re talking about.
Everyone’s Favourite Open Guard
The De la Riva is to open guard what closed guard is, well, to every guard. It is a position you’re going to find yourself in, even if you don’t want to play it – it is that common. So, what are you going to do when you end up in the DLR guard while rolling or competing with the Gi?
Well, first up, let’s see what the dangers are. You should ensure your hook leg is sticky enough so that the top person cannot simply strip it off at will. next, be aware of your active leg, as it can easily end up in a leg lock if you push on the hips too much.
Now that structure is out of the way, what are your attacks? Well, it will depend on your grips. If the top person is kneeling, you can pretty much use anything you want, except for leg locks. When they’re standing, you’re likely gripping the sleeves and should consider sitting instead of lying on the mats.
Finally, just like the Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD teaches us, sweeps are your best friend from the De la Riva! Subs can happen here and there, but the best way to approach the guard, when you want to actually attack from it and not transition to a neighboring one, is to try and end up on top.
Gracie Barra’s Otavio ” The Steamroller” Sousa
Otavio Sousa is the perfect depiction of Gracie Barra professor. He spent his entire grappling career training under the GB banner, starting at the legendary Recife Academy, led by Ze Radiola as a teenager.
He competed a lot rising through the ranks, and eventually conquering his first world title as a brown belt, before winning three more world titles, five Pans titles, and the Brazilian Nationals. He got his black belt from Carlso Gracie Jr. and ended up in Irvine, California, as the head coach of the local GB academy in town.
While the initial GB posting did not work out for Sousa, who fell out with owner Chirs Pizzo, it did earn him a following of core students, including Budo Jake, who went with him as he found his home in GB Huntington Beach. The Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD clearly shows the Gracie influence and knowledge Sousa has of the Gentle Art.
Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD Review
The Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD is a four-part BJJ instructional with the Gi, offering competition-tested techniques by a Carlos Gracie JR black belt and multiple times world champion. All the material is organized systematically and the full length of the instructional is just under 2 hours:
Part 1 – Seated Sweeps
A lot of the attacks in this Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD are centered around sweeps. This is understandable, as a standing opponent doesn’t leave too many submission options from the De la Riva guard.
Naturally, sitting up is the optimal De la Riva structure against standing opponents, so Souse delivers most of the material in the first volume from that position. He begins with a few basic DLR sweeps, tilting the top person backward or forward, before launching into several wrestle-up options based on leg hooks.
He also covers some common reactions in this part of the instructional, addressing how to still get a sweep when the opponent drives into you, or tries to pull back. My favorite part of the entire DVD came in the very final chapter of this volume – a DLR kneebar setup.
Part 2 – Rolling Sweeps
Part two is all about those who love to sweep with flair (and have no neck issues – yet). Overhead sweep variations, branded “roll under” sweeps, make up most of the material in the second volume of the Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD.
Most of the initial setups for the sweeps still begin in the seated De la Riva guard position, often working in a reactive fashion based on what the top person does. While not the optimal way to figure these things out, I applaud Otavio’s attention to detail.
The first submission in this DVD also makes an appearance here, although it can be branded a cameo. Professor Sousa shows his Omoplata entry using a cross-sleeve grip and offers an additional route to the back from the same sequence.
Part 3 – Shin to Shin Concepts
The part of the Otavio Sousa De La Riva DVD that competitors will enjoy the most. let’s not forget that Sousa is a multiple-time world champion, who proved his DLR can cause trouble to the best in the world, and this particular aspect played a major part in his open guard game when he competed.
Since this is a Gi instructional, the lapel was bound to make an appearance at some point. It is the perfect way to increase the connection when playing the shin-to-shin guard, a natural follow-up of a seated De la Riva and one of the best attacking seated guards, according to me.
Sousa shows plenty of sweeps, maps out the integration and connections of the DLR and the Shin-to-Shin guards, and provides directions to the Single leg X guard, which is the next natural progression. While demonstrating how to move through guards, Sousa throws in Omoplatas, wristlocks, and back takes to serve as useful checkpoints.
Part 4 – Single Leg X-Guard
Finally, we get to the Gi version of the Single Leg X guard, something most people in the Gi associate with the De la Riva. The final portion of the Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD shows how to integrate an inside guard position with an outside guard, essentially closing the system.
Leg attacks feature here, only legal ones, as this is a GB instructional, but efficient when done right, nonetheless. Toe holds and ankle locks are responsible for lower body attacks, while more sweeps, featuring the lasso position provide even suitable options to pair up with the submission threats.
Using Guards As a Funnel
Generally, most guards put you in a position where your legs are on the outside of your opponent’s legs, or between them. The first kind is outside guards, while the second is referred to as inside guards. Both, understandably have their strengths and weaknesses.
This is not the place to go into the discussion of what exactly are the options for each, but rather to understand the context in which the martial from the Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD can help your guard game as a whole.
A goal of guards is to progressively trap the top person, leading them into submission or sweep. These are funnels that you use to impose your game and are based on the specific options available from outside or inside guards.
For example, if you try to go for leg locks from an outside guard like the De la Riva, apart from the Caio Terra ankle lock, you can’t really do much, just like setting up a triangle from the butterfly guard is impossible. The point is that you should use guards as funnels, recognizing whether outside or inside-based attacks are the easiest to get to.
DOWNLOAD HERE: DYNAMIC DE LA RIVA GUARD OTAVIO SOUSA DVD
World Champ Guard!
You won’t become a world champion by mastering the material in the Dynamic De La Riva Guard Otavio Sousa DVD, but you just might get a title or two if you make the De la Riva the center of your open guard game. And why wouldn’t you? It connects great with other guards, works against different levels of passing, and is just as useful in No-Gi as it is with the Gi. Off to practice now!
Ricardo De La Riva is a 7th Degree CORAL BELT!!! Congratulations!
