Giving in - time to learn De La Riva + Berimbolo + these other new open guards

minimagpro

minimagpro

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Hey guys, current blue belt coming off a training hiatus and wow... the open guard games have really passed me by. Since I moved around a bunch for the military, I got to experience all different styles but the new de la riva/berimbolo stuff really has me stumped.

I have always been a very traditional player and stayed away from the more advanced open guards, but I got totally schooled at an academy I visited last week and I need to get up to speed. I felt totally out of my game and I was constantly a step behind.

Does anyone have any recommendations on DVDs, books, etc, where I can start with the basics? I know the Miyao bros and Sam Braga have instructionals - anyone have these? Thoughts?

Looking to start super basic so I can be better prepared as I step back into competitions and I at least know the positions and a few counters.

Thanks.
 
You should look at Mendes bros website subscription (I think it has a free trial)
 
Unless you are genuiniely interested in learning all of the modern open guards, it is more efficient for you to just concentrate on defending them. For instance you could learn to defend the DLR Berimbolo game in a month or two by understanding proper leg placement on top,defending the DLR hook,defending grips, and concentrating on setting up your favorite pass. But it would take you well over a year to have a decent DLR/Berimbolo game.
 
minimagpro said:
Hey guys, current blue belt coming off a training hiatus and wow... the open guard games have really passed me by. Since I moved around a bunch for the military, I got to experience all different styles but the new de la riva/berimbolo stuff really has me stumped.

I have always been a very traditional player and stayed away from the more advanced open guards, but I got totally schooled at an academy I visited last week and I need to get up to speed. I felt totally out of my game and I was constantly a step behind.

Does anyone have any recommendations on DVDs, books, etc, where I can start with the basics? I know the Miyao bros and Sam Braga have instructionals - anyone have these? Thoughts?

Looking to start super basic so I can be better prepared as I step back into competitions and I at least know the positions and a few counters.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
You should've been learned this lol I did this as a white belt man. Look up YouTube moves
 
Smash/low passing. If you don't stand up, there's no possibility of a dlr hook
 
JustTheTip said:
Unless you are genuiniely interested in learning all of the modern open guards, it is more efficient for you to just concentrate on defending them. For instance you could learn to defend the DLR Berimbolo game in a month or two by understanding proper leg placement on top,defending the DLR hook,defending grips, and concentrating on setting up your favorite pass. But it would take you well over a year to have a decent DLR/Berimbolo game.
Click to expand...

Isn't it the same thing with everything?
 
JustTheTip said:
Unless you are genuiniely interested in learning all of the modern open guards, it is more efficient for you to just concentrate on defending them. For instance you could learn to defend the DLR Berimbolo game in a month or two by understanding proper leg placement on top,defending the DLR hook,defending grips, and concentrating on setting up your favorite pass. But it would take you well over a year to have a decent DLR/Berimbolo game.
Click to expand...
The way it works for me is, I have to understand the concept/system & use them so I would know the details on how to counter it myself. Better defense orientation with a bonus knowledge of being able to actually use them. My .2 cents.
 
loyalyolayal said:
The way it works for me is, I have to understand the concept/system & use them so I would know the details on how to counter it myself. Better defense orientation with a bonus knowledge of being able to actually use them. My .2 cents.
Click to expand...

While having a deep understanding of a position often does assist in defending it, its not necessary. There are alot of successful competitors that have sick guards but not good passers. Defending DLR and Berimbolo actually comes down to defending a handful of things. Actually getting decent at the DLR/Bolo game is a series of movements and details that actually have little do do with defending it.
 
IMO Lovato has some of the best material on passing and defending the DLR and Berimbolo effectively. He basically covers posture and defending the DLR hook.
 
Signed up for the Mendes Bros free month trial. Really good stuff so far, thanks for the recommendation!
 
minimagpro said:
Hey guys, current blue belt coming off a training hiatus and wow... the open guard games have really passed me by. Since I moved around a bunch for the military, I got to experience all different styles but the new de la riva/berimbolo stuff really has me stumped.

I have always been a very traditional player and stayed away from the more advanced open guards, but I got totally schooled at an academy I visited last week and I need to get up to speed. I felt totally out of my game and I was constantly a step behind.

Does anyone have any recommendations on DVDs, books, etc, where I can start with the basics? I know the Miyao bros and Sam Braga have instructionals - anyone have these? Thoughts?

Looking to start super basic so I can be better prepared as I step back into competitions and I at least know the positions and a few counters.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

A few things. The first is that you don't really have to play those style if you don't want to. But you do need to either know how to pass them, or how to prevent them. Learning how to pass them is great, but it's a ton of work. If you prefer a simpler style of BJJ, focusing on lower line pressure passing ala Bernardo Faria or Murilo Santana (or Roger Gracie back in the day) is a good way to simply bypass a lot of those guards all together. Roger said that the reason he never got into DLR, spider, etc. in his matches was because he stayed low and pressured in, and in fact most of those guards require a standing opponent to engage. If you're on your toes but with your upper body low pressuring in, it's very hard to get any of the more advanced guards started. You'll still need to learn how to deal with the lasso, Z guard, and a few other things but you can more or less avoid the DLR/RLDR complex and spider pretty well with this strategy.
 
Uchi Mata said:
A few things. The first is that you don't really have to play those style if you don't want to. But you do need to either know how to pass them, or how to prevent them. Learning how to pass them is great, but it's a ton of work. If you prefer a simpler style of BJJ, focusing on lower line pressure passing ala Bernardo Faria or Murilo Santana (or Roger Gracie back in the day) is a good way to simply bypass a lot of those guards all together. Roger said that the reason he never got into DLR, spider, etc. in his matches was because he stayed low and pressured in, and in fact most of those guards require a standing opponent to engage. If you're on your toes but with your upper body low pressuring in, it's very hard to get any of the more advanced guards started. You'll still need to learn how to deal with the lasso, Z guard, and a few other things but you can more or less avoid the DLR/RLDR complex and spider pretty well with this strategy.
Click to expand...

Thanks. For me it is definitely just more of a love of the game. It doesn't fit my style but I still want to be familiar and have knowledge of the position, a few sweeps, few counters, few passes, etc.
 
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