Worm Guard to Berimbolo: the Lapel Grip, Sit-Up Guard and De La Riva

Professor Binish Sukhija · 7 min read

The lasso guard is built on a sleeve grip, and against someone who’s fighting your grips, the sleeve isn’t always there. In this Gi class from our mats in New Delhi, Professor Binish Sukhija shows the alternative: the lapel. From that one worm guard grip, he builds a sit-up guard sweep, a De La Riva half sweep and, with one grip exchange, a berimbolo back take.

It’s a fitting class for us: Professor Binish teaches in the De La Riva lineage, and this is the guard family that carries the name.

Watch the class first, then use the notes underneath when you drill it.

Class chapters

0:00 Intro
0:42 Worm guard: the lapel instead of the sleeve
4:14 Sit-up guard: exchange the grip, come up on top
7:19 De La Riva: bridge, knees to the chest
10:21 Grip exchange into the berimbolo back take
13:55 Rolling

Part 1: Worm guard, the lapel instead of the sleeve

The worm guard does the same job as the lasso. With the lasso, you hold the sleeve and pass your foot over to under, so you control your partner’s shoulder and lat. “Sometimes finding the sleeve is not so easy,” especially when your partner is fighting back. So you use their lapel instead.

Take the lapel and pass it as far as you can, as if you were handing it to your other hand. The control is only effective if you pull it strong enough.
Pass your foot over to under, exactly like the lasso.
Left foot stays on the hip the whole time.

Worm guard with the lapel in a Gi BJJ class at Knots & Collar, India: foot passed over to under and the other foot on the hip — Lapel passed through, foot over to under, the other foot on the hip.

Get comfortable switching between the sleeve grip and the lapel grip on one side, then do the other. If these open guards are new to you, our guide to guard types is a good place to get your bearings.

Part 2: Sit-up guard: exchange the grip, come up on top

Same grips, but this time you sit up instead of staying flat. Kick your right foot and sit up on your palm. It’s a sit-up guard, not a De La Riva.

Exchange the grip without letting go. The left hand takes over the grip before the other lets go.
Look towards their back. That’s what gives you the reach to make the exchange; without it, you’d need a lot of mobility and a long enough gi.
Kick from the right. When you kick, their far foot gets heavy and the near foot goes light.
When it’s light, pull it. Pull your heel back, come up, and you’re already on top.

If you enjoy this entry, the worm guard get-up sweep class takes the same grip into half a worm guard and a technical get-up.

Part 3: De La Riva: bridge, knees to the chest

Back to the sleeve grip, and this time you find the De La Riva: foot over to under, wrapped around the back of their knee, with a grip on the heel or the trousers.

Bridge off your right foot and go up onto your shoulder.
Extend your left foot big and keep your right foot under as much as possible.
Find the same-side sleeve, pull your knees to your chest, and use your right foot against the back of their knee or calf. “I’m not lifting him up. I’m just pulling my knees to the chest.”

This is the half sweep without changing grips, a chance to get used to the foot positions before the next step.

Part 4: Grip exchange into the berimbolo

Now the same movement with one change: look towards the back and exchange the grip.

Bridge, get the foot, and while your hips are still up, look to the back and exchange.
The hand that held the ankle takes the grip. The free hand goes to their belt or pocket, not the sleeve this time. “We need the hip movement, sleeve is not enough.”
Knees to the chest, make them fall to the side, and use that momentum to invert. Dive your head in and get close.
Let go of the left grip and catch the ankle. Your right foot is already a hook. Pull them in and take the back.

Grip exchange into the berimbolo in a Gi BJJ class at Knots & Collar, Defence Colony, New Delhi: hips up, knees to the chest — Hips up, look to the back, exchange the grip. Three things done at once.

The timing detail worth remembering: do it while your hips are up. “Once your hips are down, you have lesser mobility.” With the hips up, you get three things done at once: left foot, right foot, and the look to the back. From there, our back control guide covers how to keep what you’ve taken.

How to drill it this week

Grip switch: sleeve to lapel and back on one side, foot over to under each time.
Sit up and exchange: kick, sit up on your palm, look to their back, swap the grip without ever letting go.
Knees to the chest: bridge, extend, pull your knees in. No lifting.
The berimbolo, slowly: walk through the inversion at half speed, with a partner who gives you the roll. Mind your neck, and stop if anything feels wrong.

Either of you can tap or call stop at any point. Drilling vs rolling explains why a move needs both, and our Gi vs No-Gi guide is useful if you’re deciding where to begin.

Rolling

The video closes on the live rounds that followed.

Where this class happens

Gi BJJ class team at Knots & Collar in Delhi, India, with students sitting and kneeling on the mat after training — A Gi class team at Knots & Collar, Defence Colony.

We train Gi and No-Gi through the week at our studio in Defence Colony. Our guide to BJJ in Delhi covers training in the city, and the guide to BJJ in India has the wider picture. If you are choosing where to start, here is what to look for in a BJJ academy.

Train with us

We teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gi and No-Gi, at Knots & Collar in Defence Colony, New Delhi, seven days a week, for complete beginners and experienced grapplers alike. See the class schedule, book a free trial class, or message us on WhatsApp.

Hindi mein baat karni ho? WhatsApp par message kijiye, hum aapko class ke baare mein sab bata denge.

FAQs

How is the worm guard similar to the lasso guard?

They do the same job. With the lasso you hold the sleeve and pass your foot over to under, so you control your partner’s shoulder and lat. The worm guard uses their lapel in place of the sleeve, which helps when the sleeve is hard to find because your partner is fighting your grips.

How do you make the lapel grip effective in the worm guard?

Pass the lapel as far as you can, as if you were handing it to your other hand, then pass your foot over to under. The control is only effective if you pull it strong enough, and your left foot stays on the hip the whole time.

Why look towards the back before exchanging the grip?

Looking towards your partner’s back is what gives you the reach. Without it you would need a lot of mobility and a uniform long enough to make the exchange. You also have to exchange without letting go: the other hand takes over before the first lets go.

What is the sit-up guard sweep in this class?

With the same grips, you kick your right foot and sit up on your palm. Exchange the grip, look towards their back and kick from the right. When you kick, their far foot gets heavy and the near foot goes light. When it is light, pull it, pull your heel back, and you come up on top.

Do you lift your partner in the De La Riva half sweep?

No. In class Professor Binish is clear: you are not lifting them up, you are just pulling your knees to your chest. You bridge off your right foot onto your shoulder, extend your left foot, find the same-side sleeve and use your right foot against the back of their knee or calf.

Why do you need your hips up for the berimbolo grip exchange?

Once your hips are down, you have less mobility. While your hips are up you can get three things done at once: your left foot, your right foot and the look to the back. The free hand also goes to the belt or pocket rather than the sleeve, because you need the hip movement.

Where can I learn Gi BJJ in India?

We teach Gi and No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Knots & Collar in Defence Colony, New Delhi, seven days a week, for complete beginners and experienced grapplers. The class schedule is on our programs page, and you can book a free trial class or message us on WhatsApp.

Kindness Over Toughness.