The de la Riva guard was created by and made popular by Ricardo de la Riva, but is now is becoming a unique BJJ Guard system in itself.
The de la Riva guard gives you a VERY high level control over your opponent, due to the “wrapping” of the leg, which shuts down your opponents structure starting at the knee. This makes passing the guard difficult.
The de la Riva guard creates opportunies that allows you to attack with: sweeps, back takes, chokes, armlocks and leglocks.
The de la Riva guard also is a viable self-defense technique, especially when your opponent is standing and you are grounded.
The de la Riva guard is mostly used against standing opponents , which is very common from a self-defense perspective.
