{"slug":"berimbolo","name":"Berimbolo","aliases":["bolo","berimbolinho"],"category":"transition","format":"gi","level":"advanced","summary":"An inversion-based transition from De La Riva and related guards that follows the opponent's hip to expose the back or create a sweep.","overview":["The berimbolo is a family of rotations beneath and around the opponent's hips, most famously from De La Riva guard. Rather than sweeping the opponent away, the guard player stays connected to the waist and legs while moving into the space behind the hips.","Competition versions range from compact shoulder rolls to extended inversion exchanges. The defining idea is not the acrobatics; it is preserving control of the hip line while changing the relationship from in front of the opponent to behind them."],"keyPrinciples":["Off-balance the opponent before inverting beneath the hips.","Control the belt, waist, or far hip so the opponent cannot simply turn away.","Keep the neck unloaded by rotating across the shoulders, not the head.","Use the legs to separate or staple the opponent's knees during the climb."],"entries":[{"label":"De La Riva","description":"Sit the opponent toward the controlled side and rotate beneath the near hip."},{"label":"Double guard pull","description":"Win the upper hip position and begin the inversion as both players sit."},{"label":"50/50 exchange","description":"Unwind the entanglement while following the opponent's belt line."}],"continuations":[{"label":"Back control","description":"Climb above the hips and connect upper-body controls as the opponent turns."},{"label":"Crab ride","description":"Use hooks behind the knees or hips to keep the opponent suspended during the transition."},{"label":"Leg drag","description":"Come on top with the opponent's legs directed across the body."}],"defenses":[{"label":"Free the hip","description":"Break belt or waist control before trying to spin out."},{"label":"Square the knees","description":"Prevent the guard player from separating the legs and climbing behind them."},{"label":"Create distance","description":"Stand or step away only after the controlling hooks are cleared."}],"relatedTechniqueSlugs":["de-la-riva-guard","crab-ride","back-control","leg-drag-pass"],"athleteSlugs":["rafael-mendes","mikey-musumeci","levi-jones-leary","gianni-grippo"],"rulesetNote":"Scoring and permitted grips vary by promotion and division. Check the current organizer rules before competing.","historyNote":"The berimbolo became a defining feature of elite lighter-weight gi competition through the work of competitors including the Mendes and Miyao brothers.","sources":[{"label":"IBJJF rule book and rules resources","url":"https://ibjjf.com/books-videos","type":"rules"}],"lastUpdated":"2026-07-25","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/berimbolo","markdownUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/berimbolo.md","jsonUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/berimbolo","relatedTechniques":[{"slug":"de-la-riva-guard","name":"De La Riva Guard","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/de-la-riva-guard"},{"slug":"crab-ride","name":"Crab Ride","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/crab-ride"},{"slug":"back-control","name":"Back Control","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/back-control"},{"slug":"leg-drag-pass","name":"Leg-Drag Pass","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/leg-drag-pass"}],"associatedAthletes":[{"slug":"rafael-mendes","name":"Rafael Mendes","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/rafael-mendes"},{"slug":"mikey-musumeci","name":"Mikey Musumeci","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/mikey-musumeci"},{"slug":"levi-jones-leary","name":"Levi Jones-Leary","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/levi-jones-leary"},{"slug":"gianni-grippo","name":"Gianni Grippo","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/gianni-grippo"}],"sourceSite":{"name":"Ossmeta","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com"}}