Key Takeaways
- A 4-part Gi Jiu-Jitsu DVD that breaks down the RDLR guard into three ‘boxes’ of attacks.
- Contains invaluable material on controlling the guard, and attacking with sweeps, backtakes, and submissions.
- Features great organization and plenty of reaction-based attacks covering different scenarios.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
REVERSE DE LA RIVA SYSTEM MIKE MUSUMECI DVD GET HERE:
When people mention pen guard in Jiu-Jitsu, a version of the De la Riva guard pops into everyone’s mind. There are quite a few, especially with all they hybridized guard versions, and they all bring something different to the mats. However, nothing beats sticking to the classics, which include the original tow versions of the De la Riva guard.
The Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD focuses on one of these two fundamental De la Riva guard variations, braking down the Reverse version. Originally highly popular in both Gi and No-Gi, the RDLR got pushed pout of Gi Jiu-Jitsu for a bit, only to come back stronger than ever. Mikey explains what changed and how this modern RDLR world.
What is the Best De La Riva?
Fifteen years ago the landscape of Jiu-Jitsu guards was very different to the one we have today. On top of the closed and half guard, there were a bunch of open guards, but not nearly as many as these days. Among those, the De la Riva was a go-to method for Gi grapplers.
The Reverse De la Riva appeared a bit over a decade ago, with the Mendes and Miyao brothers taking it to new heights with inverted back attacks from the bottom. I’m sure the guard is older than that, but it never clicked for the majority of grapplers until then.
From that moment onward, just about every open guard got a De la Riva hybrid, from the spider guard to different worm guard iterations. This does create a lot of confusion, which I usually do not like, but in that madness, there is sense to be found as well.
Namely, such a wide use of the De la Riva guard(s), or, to be more precise, a part of their mechanics, demonstrates how valuable they are. The De la Riva hook, which is the knee-level hook you place inside or outside, paired with the very low gripping arm on the same leg si what gives the guard and its variations its retaining and attacking power.
Mikey does a great job at focusing attention on these aspects of the RDLR while offering all the different types of attacks available to you in his Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD.
The Best Flyweight Grappler in the World?
Mikey Musumeci is a man of many talents. From high-level grappling skills, to equally as impressive pizza-making skills, “Darth Rigatoni” has made tsunami-level waves in the BJJ world.
The 5x World Champion, 2x Pans and Euros conqueror, and former ONE FC Flyweight champion has had a very fruitful career, surpassing the achievements of many grapplers before even reaching 30 years of age. And he is not done yet.
Just last week, Mikey quit ONE FC, not long after they stripped him of his titles for missing weight. HE decided to move back to the US and refocus on showcasing his talents in other promotions, which I have no doubt are scrambling to sign him up for as I am writing this.
In the meantime, we’re left with quite the collection of Mikey Musumeci DVDs, one of which is going to be my primary focus today. I’m talking about the Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD, one that I wanted to go over for quite a while.
Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD Review
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mikey Musumeci in a Gi. The Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD offers a very comprehensive way of setting up one of the most popular No-Gi guards in Gi BJJ, with over three hours of material incredibly well divided between four volumes.
Part 1 – RDLR Control Points
If you ask me, every instructional covering the guard position needs to follow this structure from now on. Mikey has found the perfect template, breaking down guard like nobody else did in an instructional to date.
The first volume of the Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD targets the foundations of any guard, with Musumeci sharing them through the perspective of the Reverse De la Riva guard. He goes over body positioning very meticulously, from grips to hooks, demonstrating how to achieve total control from the position.
He then shares his groundbreaking concept of piling stuff into boxes – in this case, three boxes of different attacks- which is how he proceeds to deliver the information that comes later in this instructional. In fact, he touches upon the first one, containing sweeps attacks in this opening part, covering several tripod sweeping variations.
Part 2 – Sweep Timing
Still on the subject of sweeps, the second part of the Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD is the best-formatted BJJ sweep instructional I’ve ever seen. Musumeci explains sweeps by covering in detail what the opponent does, and how to punch each of his actions with sweeps.
Scenarios include people removing the hooks by lifting or pushing, as well as using hip frames, which have proven to be effective at killing the Reverse De la Riva guard very effectively in the past.
The key aspects of finishing sweeps from the RDLR, but also from any other guard, wrap this volume up, along with a technical standup sweep to provide a longer route to sweeping, which includes standing up.
Part 3 – Back Exposure
After unboxing sweeps, Mikey focuses on opening the back attacks box in the third volume of his Reverse De La Riva Mikey Musumeci DVD. This one is what most people were after in this DVD anyway, given Mikey’s (and just about every other world-class lightweight grappler’s) success with it in competition.
In the longest portion of the instructional, Musumeci covers how to attack the back by going not just between the legs, but also around them, using the RDLR as a launching pad. Of course, the Kiss of the Dragon features a lot, with Mikey showing his take on the popular inverted attack.
While exploring outside back exposures, Mikey mainly talks about flanking, using different ways to effectively pin the top person in place as he maneuvers around the leg and inserts hooks to start creating back-taking opportunities. He sprinkles it all by sharing his favorite Berimbolo attack for those who absolutely love to invert.
Part 4 – Submissions
The final box of the Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD contains submissions attacks, divided between upper and lower body submissions. The RDLR is one of the rare guard positions that provide access to all submission categories that are available, and Mikey certainly knows how to make the most out of it.
From classic Triangle-Omoplata combos to kneebars, Musumeci offers a comprehensive system that allows you to fire submission after submission at the top person until you get the tap. Combined with sweeps and back attacks, this really amps up his RDLR guard system for Gi Jiu-Jitsu.
The Value of Guard Systems
Playing with systems is something many people did, but it was Danaher who managed to put it into perspective and conceptualize it. Instead of developing game plans, like other sports have, he opted to create systems of attacks that consist of many small-scale subsystems, each perfectly operational on its own.
The Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD is just another in a whole series of system-based guard developments that have emerged since. It shows how valuable thinking along these lines is for grapples, as it helps remove the fluff and provides a clear goal that you can then reach using different paths.
Organizing your Jiu-Jitsu into systems, particularly when your back is on the mats, allows you to figure out exactly what suits your game, and what you should disregard. Furthermore, by offering a system with ‘boxes’ Musumeci helps simplify Danaher’s concept of systems even further, allowing you to form a pattern you can easily remember and apply even when you’re under the pressure of competing.
FULL DOWNLOAD: REVERSE DE LA RIVA SYSTEM MIKE MUSUMECI DVD
The RDLR is Back!
For a little while there, the Reverse De la Riva guard kind of disappeared from Jiu-Jitsu, particularly Gi BJJ. It lingered on in No-Gi, long enough to solve the leg lock puzzle that kind of killed it off for a little while. The Reverse De La Riva System Mikey Musumeci DVD is a great example of how the guard works in modern BJJ, and why you should (re)introduce it to your bottom game as soon as possible.
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