RDLR Back Take

What This Is

The RDLR back take is an inversion from reverse de la riva (RDLR) guard in which the bottom player rolls through the space under the opponent’s hips, arriving at the opponent’s back in a crab ride or seatbelt position. This sequence is the no-gi berimbolo — a rotation under the opponent’s base that takes the back by going beneath rather than around.

The RDLR hook (inside the opponent’s near leg, foot behind the knee or calf) provides the anchor for the inversion. The bottom player has a shin grip on the opponent’s near leg. The inversion rolls the bottom player’s hips under the opponent’s hips — the classic berimbolo rotation. In the gi version, a collar or belt grip aids the inversion. In no-gi, the shin or ankle grip replaces this and must be maintained precisely throughout.

The back take from RDLR is most reliable when the opponent is circling or stepping in a direction — their movement creates the space the inversion exploits. A stationary, heavy opponent is harder to go under. The back take reads the opponent’s footwork and uses their own movement as the opening.

The Invariable in Action

The RDLR back take is one of the most hip-mobility-dependent techniques in the guard system. The inversion requires the bottom player to roll their hips through a 180-degree arc — from facing the opponent’s front to facing the opponent’s back — while maintaining the leg hook and hand grip. Restricted hip mobility produces an incomplete rotation that leaves the bottom player exposed beneath the opponent with no position. The technique is available only to practitioners with genuinely free hip rotation.

Setup and Entry

From RDLR Guard

The setup is established RDLR guard: inside hook on the near leg, shin grip on the same leg, bottom player on their side. The opponent is in a passing position — circling, stepping, or advancing — and their weight is not fully committed forward. The inversion window opens when the opponent’s near leg moves forward or their hip creates space underneath.

Execution

The Inversion

From RDLR, the bottom player rolls their hips toward the opponent’s back side — turning toward the floor on the near-leg side. The RDLR hook anchors the near leg as the bottom player’s hips rotate under the opponent’s center of mass. The shin or ankle grip on the near leg maintains contact throughout the rotation. The bottom player’s back passes under the opponent’s hips during the rotation.

Crab Ride Position

As the rotation completes, the bottom player arrives at the opponent’s back with one or both hooks potentially in position — this is the crab ride (truck position). From crab ride, the bottom player can establish the seatbelt and take full back control, or attack directly from crab ride with spine locks (where ruleset permits) or continue to the back.

Grip Transition

During the rotation, the shin/ankle grip transitions to a back control grip. One arm reaches for the seatbelt over the shoulder as the other releases the leg. The timing of this grip transition is critical — holding the leg grip too long delays the back control establishment, while releasing it too early allows the opponent to step out of the rotation.

Common Errors

Losing the leg grip mid-inversion

The shin or ankle grip is the rail that guides the inversion to its destination. Losing it mid-rotation produces a rollunder with no direction — the bottom player ends up facing the mat under the opponent with no position. The grip must survive the entire rotation.

Inverting toward the front rather than the back

The inversion direction is toward the opponent’s back. Rotating toward the opponent’s front puts the bottom player in front of the opponent’s hips — a vulnerable inverted position. Confirm the rotation direction before committing.

Slow inversion — opponent steps over

A slow inversion allows the opponent to recognise the motion and step over the rolling bottom player, passing to a dominant position. The inversion must be fast — committed and continuous from start to finish.

Drilling Notes

• Inversion direction: Practice the rolling motion from RDLR toward the back side without a partner first — understand which way the hips roll. Then add partner cooperatively.
• Full sequence cooperative: RDLR established, partner holds still, bottom player inverts and arrives at crab ride/back. Both partners move slowly. Focus on maintaining the shin grip.
• Grip transition: Drill the moment of releasing the leg and reaching for the seatbelt — isolate this moment and practice it repeatedly before adding it to the full sequence.

Ability Level Guidance

RDLR back take is rated Developing, though it sits at the upper end of that tier. The technique requires hip mobility that takes dedicated drilling to develop, and the no-gi grip maintenance during inversion is more demanding than the gi berimbolo. Practitioners who have not drilled the individual components — RDLR position, inversion mechanics, grip transitions — will find the full sequence inaccessible in live rolling.

At Proficient, the RDLR back take becomes a high-percentage option that integrates with the RDLR sweep — the two create a two-threat system from RDLR.

Also Known As

Related Pages