De La Riva Break
De La Riva hook break — kill the hook by killing the foot-on-hip frame, defeat the sleeve/ankle grip, step back to clear the hook.
Adapted from the original page. Grappling.Games did not write this. Sources.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 6 positions across 2 relationshipsOpen in the map →123456←Enters from
The De La Riva break is the set of disengagement actions that clear a DLR hook and its supporting connections so passing can begin. De La Riva guard uses three load-bearing elements: the outside hook (the DLR leg hooked around the top player’s far knee from outside), the foot-on-hip frame (the inside leg’s foot posted on the top player’s near hip or biceps), and the grip (usually on the top player’s ankle, knee, or sleeve/wrist). All three work together to generate the backward-and-sideways rotation that feeds DLR’s sweeps and back-takes. The break’s job is to dismantle this triangle of control.
DLR is structurally difficult to pass because the hook is behind the top player’s leg — a location that is mechanically awkward to free without stepping out or lifting the leg. The wrong break sequence (stepping out before dealing with the grip and frame, for example) often leads directly to a DLR back-take or a sweep. The correct sequence kills the frame or grip first, and only then steps out of the hook.
In no-gi, DLR operates without sleeve grips but retains the hook, the foot-on-hip, and an ankle or knee grip as the control triangle. The break adjusts for no-gi by prioritising the foot-on-hip neutralisation, since without sleeve grips the foot-on-hip is the primary frame providing the bottom player’s push-pull force.
Ruleset context This technique is legal in all major competitive formats.
INV-P01Invariant "The top player must clear the line of the feet before advancing. Attempting to pass while the feet are active is attempting to pass through the guard rather than around it."
Why it works hereThe DLR hook is one of the most persistent active-feet conditions in guard. Unlike a butterfly hook that dies under compression or a closed guard that opens under structural force, the DLR hook is wrapped behind the passer's leg and can only be cleared by stepping out of the wrap or rotating the leg out of the hook angle. Attempting to pass without clearing the hook leaves it generating back-take leverage from behind, so any forward motion feeds the spin. The break is the foot-clearing requirement made specific to DLR geometry.
See full invariant page → The DLR hook is, in clear the feet terms, one of the most persistent active-feet conditions in guard. Unlike a butterfly hook (which dies with compression) or a closed guard (which opens under structural force), the DLR hook is behind the top player’s leg and can only be cleared by stepping the leg out of the hook or by rotating the leg away from the hook angle. Attempting to pass without clearing the hook fails because the hook continues to generate back-take leverage from its position.