Berimbolo

Last updated: May 26, 2026

What is the berimbolo?

The berimbolo is one of modern competition jiu-jitsu’s most recognisable techniques. It belongs to the family of inverted guard attacks, with the bottom player rotating beneath the opponent rather than reversing them with a standard sweep. The position usually starts from the de la Riva guard, with an outside hook on one of the opponent’s legs and grips on the gi.

Once the spin begins, two outcomes are possible. If the opponent goes flat to their back, the attacker comes up on top and scores a sweep. This outcome is sometimes called the helicóptero. If the opponent stays on their hip or posts up, the attacker continues the rotation around the leg and takes the back. BJJ Heroes explains the move as the bottom player rotating upside-down to break the opponent’s base; the same motion either reverses them for a sweep (the helicóptero) or finishes at the back (the berimbolo proper).

The technique is associated almost exclusively with sport BJJ. It is uncommon in MMA and is rarely used for self-defense.

How the berimbolo works

Execution starts with the bottom player securing a de la Riva hook around the opponent’s lead leg from below. Evolve University frames the technique as inverting the standard open guard: by rotating beneath the opponent, the attacker pulls their structure apart and creates openings to sweep, submit, or take the back. A second grip secures the opponent’s gi, often at the ankle, belt, or pant leg, giving the attacker leverage to control the rotation.

From here, the bottom player spins beneath the opponent. Their balance breaks because their lead leg is trapped and hooked while the attacker pulls it toward the floor and shoots their hips through. As the rotation completes, the attacker ends up underneath or behind the opponent’s hips with a clear path to the back.

The defining visual is the inversion. From the spectator’s view, the bottom player looks upside-down for a moment, with knees pulled in and feet pointed up, before re-emerging behind the opponent. That moment of being inverted is what makes the berimbolo unmistakable on the mat.

Origin and history of the berimbolo

The origin of the berimbolo is contested. According to Tatame Magazine in August 2012, the father of the position was Marcel Ferreira, a purple belt at the Carlson Gracie Academy around 1993, whose training partner kept passing his de la Riva guard by stepping back over the hook. Ferreira began inverting on the hook to counter, developing both a sweep and a back take from the position.

The modern version, however, is most often credited to Samuel Braga. Braga used the move at the 2005 World Championship, and from that point, it spread quickly through the sport. Andre Galvao supplied the name, a colloquial Brazilian Portuguese term meaning “scramble.” Galvao has likened the move to an orphan everyone wanted to claim once it became famous.

The technique then evolved through the Mendes brothers, Rafael and Guilherme, who built it into their featherweight competition game. Rafael Mendes’s style emphasized precision and timing over strength, and his popularization of the berimbolo and 50/50 guard reshaped modern guard play. The Miyao brothers, Joao and Paulo, followed with their own variations. Later black belts, including Gianni Grippo and Mikey Musumeci, have continued to expand the system. ONE Championship grappler and five-time IBJJF world champion Mayssa Bastos has carried the same lineage into modern submission grappling.

Berimbolo vs kiss of the dragon

Many practitioners confuse the berimbolo with another inverted back-take called the kiss of the dragon. The two share a family resemblance but enter from different positions.

	Berimbolo	Kiss of the dragon
Entry	De la Riva guard	Reverse de la Riva (spiral guard)
Direction of spin	Toward the outside of the opponent’s lead leg	Toward the inside
Outcome	Back take or sweep (helicóptero)	Back take
Popularized by	Samuel Braga, Mendes brothers	Caio Terra (origin), Rafael Mendes

BJJ Heroes notes that the reverse de la Riva guard is commonly associated with the kiss of the dragon, also called the reverse berimbolo, and that the position was popularized by Rafael Mendes via the reverse de la Riva sweep to leg drag combo. The two techniques are often chained, with practitioners moving between them as the opponent defends one entry.

Rules and legality

Under the IBJJF ruleset, the berimbolo is legal at all belt levels in both gi and no-gi divisions. The complication is the knee reap. Earlier versions of the technique involved the attacker controlling the opponent’s far leg in a way that placed pressure across the back of the knee, which the IBJJF treats as an illegal “reaping” position in the gi.

Early iterations of the move included an underhook on the opponent’s shin during the inversion, a detail that ran afoul of the IBJJF’s knee reaping rule and led to disqualifications, as documented by LowKickMMA. Competitors adapted by changing their grips, and the modern berimbolo avoids the offending hook.

The technique is also tightly bound to its sport-BJJ context. The inversion exposes the attacker to strikes from above, and the gi grips that drive the spin are absent in MMA. Even some elite grapplers have publicly criticised it. ADCC champion Kron Gracie reportedly called the technique “a mess of a move” and excluded it from his own game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the berimbolo legal in BJJ?

Yes. The IBJJF allows it at all belt levels in both gi and no-gi divisions. The technique must be performed without reaping the knee, which is a separate illegal position.

What does “berimbolo” mean?

It is a colloquial Brazilian Portuguese word loosely translated as “scramble.” The verb form, “berimbolar,” refers to the act of spinning. Andre Galvao applied the name to the technique in the mid-2000s.

Can you do the berimbolo in no-gi?

Yes, but it is harder. Without a belt or gi pant to grip, the attacker has to hug the opponent’s hips and rely on body positioning rather than fabric handles.

Is the berimbolo used in MMA?

Almost never. The inversion exposes the attacker to strikes from above, and most of the grips that make the technique work depend on the gi.

What belt should learn the berimbolo?

There is no required belt level, but most coaches treat it as an advanced technique. Familiarity with the de la Riva guard and inversion drills is usually a prerequisite.

Who invented the berimbolo?

Origin is disputed. Marcel Ferreira is credited with the earliest version in the early 1990s; Samuel Braga is credited with the modern competition version in the mid-2000s. Andre Galvao named it.

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Sources

1. BJJ Heroes. “Berimbolo.” Accessed May 2026.
2. BJJ Heroes. “Reverse De La Riva Guard.” Accessed May 2026.
3. Evolve MMA Daily. “When And How Should I Use The Berimbolo In BJJ?” Accessed May 2026.
4. Evolve University. “How To Drill The BJJ Berimbolo Technique.” Accessed May 2026.
5. LowKickMMA. “The Berimbolo: BJJ Position/Technique.” Accessed May 2026.
6. Tatame Magazine, August 2012, on Marcel Ferreira’s origin (via BJJ Heroes).
7. IBJJF Rule Book.
8. Wikipedia. “Rafael Mendes.” Accessed May 2026.
9. Sportskeeda. “Mayssa Bastos takes inspiration from berimbolo masters, the Miyao brothers of BJJ.” Accessed May 2026.

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