Student Objectives:
The student will explore the De la Riva Guard.
The student will explore applications of Kuzushi (off balancing) from the De la Riva Guard.
The student will execute the basic base check sweep from De la Riva and end in the Mount position while practicing with a compliant partner.
Teaching Cues:
Both Sleeves
Leg Around to the Hip
Stretch
Mount
Lesson: De la Riva Basic Sweep
Start the lesson by showing the students the modified Combat Base position that will be required for the assisting student. The modified Combat Base position is simply a positioning of the lead leg to leave more space behind the knee pit. A visual cue is to look at the lead shin and see if it is parallel with the walls and perpendicular with the floor. This will leave the back of the knee pit, calf and ankle exposed for easier access as new De la Riva players explore the space and application of sweeps.
Once the assisting student has a good modified Combat Base, the practicing student will take control of both sleeves with Cat Grips and place one foot on either side of the assisting student’s lead leg. The practicing student will then use the foot on the outside of the Combat Base leg and weave it behind the calf to the far side hip of the assisting student. The top of their foot should be placed firmly on the top of the belt with their toes curling around the outside of the hip.
This is the furthest the hook can go through and still be effective. While the De la Riva hook can be, and often is, more shallow, I have found through personal experience that giving a varying distance while first learning the technique can be difficult for children who are still building their understanding of spatial reasoning.
Once the foot is locked on the far hip the practicing student will take their free foot and place it on the inside of the knee, on top of where the ACL is located. This will provide the best foot hold to stretch the assisting student while also manually turning their hips away from the pass.
Simultaneously the practicing student will pull with both hands, arch their bottom shoulder away and push with their foot on the ACL. This should completely stretch out the assisting student who will fall on their side. Make sure to reinforce that the foot pushes rather than kicks as the sweep can be violent and the practicing student is holding the sleeves of both arms.
Once the assisting student has fallen on their side, the practicing student will transition to the top by first sliding their bottom knee into a Reverse Knee Shield (the non De la Riva leg) and then releasing the De la Riva leg and sliding it straight across into mount. Remind students to maintain their grips on the sleeves throughout the whole transition, including Mount.
This lesson is an introduction to the De la Riva position and there are many great sweeps that can be used. In reality, this is a really great form of Kuzushi and often children won't fall when being stretched in this manner. However, this is a great entry into almost all of the De la Riva sweeps; it utilizes and familiarizes new De la Riva players with the dynamics of the position.
Possible Extensions:
Instruct the assisting student to try and maintain their base. If they have trouble maintaining their base, allow them to have control of the hand that corresponds to the knee on the floor. This will allow them to base with the hand and stop from being swept.
Once the student has been stretched out, but they do not fall, the practicing student can sit up and quickly feed their outside hand around the back of the Knee Pit. After feeding the hand it can control just about anything. However the lapel, the far arm and the belt are the three best options. Once they have control the sweep works the same. NOTE: If they take control of the far sleeve (the one that the student may be posting on), be careful during the execution of the sweep as it will often drop them on their shoulder.
Execute the same entry behind the Knee Pit as above and then perform a Technical Stand Up. This will work and feel like a mix between the De la Riva Base Check and a Koala Sweep.
Allow the assisting student to stand once the De la Riva hook is in place. It may be difficult for the practicing student to keep the foot on the far hip, and in reality if rarely, if ever, makes it there from the standing position. However the dynamics of the position work the same and the ability to apply Kuzushi still applies.
Make sure to avoid the sweep while controlling both sleeves in this instance as they will be falling from an elevated height and this could create a safety issue. Instead, have the student sit up into the Koala position and finish the Koala Sweep.
Possible Refinements:
Commonly when students place the free foot on the assisting partner’s knee they place it on the knee cap rather than the ACL. This creates a totally different control, and while this can possibly work, the results are chaotic and change the pathway for the assisting student to fall.
When pulling with the arms and pushing with the foot make sure the student is also arching their back. This arch is important to use the big muscle groups of the body against their body, but it also creates an angle change that allows an easier turn to get on top after knocking the assisting student over.
When the moment comes to get swept the assisting student should lie down. While resisting the sweep may come naturally to the assisting student its important to point out that the tension of trying to stay standing is partially what makes the fall so forceful.
This is a good time in the development of your students to talk about the concept of Triage and flowing out of failures. This is a difficult concept to grasp for most students, but understanding it is crucial for advanced grapplers.
Reference materials:
Teaching Reflections:
How did I do teaching?
What could I do better next time?
Did the student gain proficiency in lesson material?