One of the most used guards these days is the De La Riva guard.
To help you get past your opponent’s legs and pass this guard, below I’m leaving a video lesson and, in the article, some details that are very important to make the position work efficiently.
Video lesson – De La Riva guard pass
Foot position
One detail that may have gone unnoticed is the position of the foot that is trapped in the guard. When you turn sideways to get ready for the kick, rotate your foot together with your body to take the pressure off your knee and avoid injury. Also, it’s very important that your foot points forward, because you’ll have much more power with your leg facing forward when you kick and break your opponent’s grip.
Your opponent’s grip
Every time I teach this position, someone asks me about the opponent’s grip, whether it should be on the pants or on the heel. My answer is always the same: if your opponent has the grip on the pants, you’re better off switching to a different guard pass, because the kick will hardly break it. I’ve actually seen plenty of sweeps happen because of this attempt to break the pants grip.
Belt hand
Another difficulty some people have when learning this position is keeping their balance when kicking the leg forward. To fix this, I ask you to put more of your weight on the hand gripping the belt, since your arm will be the main point of support for your body’s balance, making your leg lighter for the kick.
One single motion
It’s worth stressing that this movement must be done in one single motion, and after you kick your leg forward it should only touch the ground once it has passed to your opponent’s side.
Questions
So, did you try the position? If you had any trouble with the movement, don’t waste time and get in touch. Leave your comment and don’t forget to share it with your training partners!
OSSSS
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