Ricardo De La Riva

Ricardo De La Riva is a legendary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under the late Carlson Gracie. He was one of the most creative guard players in BJJ, having created the the famous “De La Riva” guard (originally called “Guarda Pudim”) having also become an important instructor with several important black belts under his tutelage such as Rodrigo and Rogerio Nogueira, Walter “Broca” and many others.

De La Riva in Detail

Full Name: Ricardo De La Riva Goded.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Ricardo De La Riva

Most Famous Fight: was against Royler Gracie for the “Cantão Cup”, were Ricardo won sweeping the Gracie Master with his trademark guard. This was Royler Gracie’s first competitive defeat as a Black Belt.

Favourite Technique/Position: De La Riva Guard.

Weight Category: Super Featherweight (64Kg – 141lbs).

Team/Association: He used to fight for Carlson Gracie, but has formed his own team.

De La Riva Biography

Ricardo de La Riva was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the year of 1965. He started training because of a dispute at the beach in Rio de Janeiro. Ricardo was playing soccer at the Copacabana beach with his brothers when a group of kids asked to play with them. De La Riva and his brothers weren’t keen to accept and an which prompt an argument forcing the brothers to leave the beach. When they got home and told their father what happened, the patriarch was outraged and enlisted his children in Jiu Jitsu so they could learn how to defend themselves. This happened in January 1980 and Ricardo De La Riva was 15 at the time.

Ricardo’s father was a big fan of Carlson Gracie in the Vale Tudo days and so he chose the famous school in Copacabana for Ricardo to start his training. The Carlson Gracie Academy was famous for its powerful guard passers, a style of fighting for which it is still famous today. De La Riva was a small and flexible individual, who didn’t stand a chance against the power houses of the “Arrebentacao Team”, in order to survive, he started developing his guard a style in which he excelled. The fact that he had so many classy Guard Passers training with him on a daily basis admittedly helped his guard practice.

De La Riva was awarded his black belt by Master Carlson Gracie in the year of 1986. The famous De La Riva guard came as Ricardo’s own solution to avoid being crushed constantly by his heavier opponents at the gym. At first the guard was called “Guarda Pudim” (Pudding Guard) because his opponents would be unbalanced going wobbly when he played the guard. It was only in 1987 after De La Riva beat the (until then) unbeaten Royler Gracie at the “Copa Cantão”, applying that guard to the highly decorated Gracie, that the media started calling that position the “De La Riva”.

In 1993 Ricardo De La Riva stopped competing to dedicate himself fully to teaching, but in 2002 when he was 37 years old, he decided to go back and try his luck at the World Championships. He lost in the Semi Finals and got the Bronze Medal which was a tremendous achievement for the master. He also competed at the ADCC in 2003 and has made some exhibition matches in 2004.

De La Riva vs Yuki Nakai

De La Riva vs Royler Gracie (Part1)

De La Riva vs Royler Gracie (Part2)

De La Riva has a Brazilian Rap song dedicated to him. This is the Track.