Similar to the Berimbolo, the Baby Bolo is primarily a gi based move that involves using the de la riva position to take the back of your opponent. However, unlike the Berimbolo it does not involve sweeping your opponent to the floor, neither does it require inverting either.
Because of this, the Baby Bolo may be a strong consideration for older, less flexible practitioners who dislike inverting or struggle to get the original Berimbolo sweep to begin with. Perhaps the most successful player of the Baby Bolo is Tommy Langaker. As Langaker uses this at the highest level and is a Euro’s champion at black belt, it’s fair to say that the Baby Bolo works against some of the best in the world. With this said, it should be considered as an option for all involved with BJJ.
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How to set up the initial Baby Bolo grips
This may be considered the boring part, but setting up grips is essential in pulling off the Baby Bolo. Without these original grips, everything else will not work so it is imperative to start with a good foundation. To begin with, like the Berimbolo you should start from the bottom de la riva position. Next, you should shoot your nearside de la riva hook deep so your foot is resting on the far hip of the opponent. With this done, you should move your far foot slightly lower down the opponent’s leg to accommodate your other foot position.
Whilst doing this, your grips should be one on the pant leg of the opponent like you normally would in de la riva. Although some people prefer a no gi ankle grip, gripping the material is more efficient for this move as it means the opponent cannot escape as easily. Your other hand should be gripping the near lapel of the opponent which should break their posture and keep them in contact with you. With everything set up, you should then kick the opponent away with your far leg. This will off-balance them and give you time and space to get to the back.
Spinning to the back
The next part is what resembles the Berimbolo. Remember, at no point should the opponent hit the floor, this is what makes the Baby Bolo different. After you have kicked the opponent away, you should then fall to your side and cut the angle around the opponent’s near leg. With this done, your far leg should change position from their thigh to behind their near leg.
Whilst doing this, you should keep the deep hook flared. When ready, you should then switch pant grips. Your original grip should have been on their near leg by the foot, now you should reach for the far leg by the foot. Throughout this process, your other hand should remain gripped to their lapel with broken posture to make sure they don’t run or escape.
The next process is to remove this lapel grip and switch it to their pants. If this isn’t easily available then you can opt for their belt, but this grip is not as optimal, especially if the belt is loose which creates less friction. At this point, your deep hook should move from the hip down to behind their knee. At the same time, you should bring your other leg behind their other knee and simultaneously kick forwards. This should result in a crab ride and you are now on the back.
Finishing from the back
In brief, if you can get to the crab ride position, then you should be able to get to the back. For argument’s sake, we won’t talk about choking from the back as this is separate and most practitioners will have a rough idea of doing this, regardless of skill level. Instead, we will discuss how the crab ride should be finished and this may sound simple but some people mess this up.
Firstly, you should secure a seatbelt grip around the opponent as soon as possible to control the upper body. Because of the nature of the crab ride you will typically land with your legs under the legs of the opponent. This isn’t ideal and you simply need to kick one leg out at a time and place your hooks. With this done, you will have successfully got the back from the original de la riva position which is the main goal of the Baby Bolo.
Countering a running escape
Some people will fear their back being taken and with good reason. This is why we prioritized grips from the start, as if your grips are sloppy then it makes escaping easier. For instance, if you do get behind the opponent but are yet to set up the crab ride, then the opponent may run off if your grips aren’t secure.
This is why gripping the pant legs and gi or belt at all times is imperative. However, if this isn’t done or the opponent somehow breaks free of the grip then this is ok. Whilst the back take is the priority, you can change to a body lock from the back position. From here your opponent will most likely turtle. With this done, you’re still in a dominant position and can attack the turtle. In terms of sport Jiu Jitsu, you would have also gained 2 points for a sweep.
Sometimes, people will run off whilst standing. To counter this you can stand with them and get a body lock from behind. From here you can chose the valley drop takedown by tripping their far foot from behind. Alternatively, you can move to the side and try a body slam takedown, or try a standing back take from the back. In short, there’s several options if you manage to get behind the opponent with a body lock. This may not be as good as taking the back, but it is still a dominant position with many attacking options.
When playing deep de la riva, watch out for leg locks
This advice may not apply for advanced practitioners, but if starting out then it must be addressed. In short, the Baby Bolo starts from the deep de la riva position. This is when your original hook kicks through to the far hip. In theory, this leg should be safe from attack whilst in this position. However, if your opponent manages to pull your leg forward, it can expose the knee line.
This is important as it means the opponent can now fall back into a knee bar or saddle position. Even if you aren’t playing heel hooks, this saddle entry is now IBJJF legal in the gi which means toeholds (at brown belt) and straight ankle locks are available from this position which is hard to escape. Because of this, be cautious to keep your deep hook safe and be wary of just how exposed your knee is to getting attacked. Generally however, an experienced player won’t get caught out whilst using a deep hook though.
Final thoughts on the Baby Bolo
If the Berimbolo seems too technical or dangerous for your neck, then the Baby Bolo is a great alternative. With this said, it can also be considered a good gateway into the world of Berimbolo’s if you fear they’re too technical. Perhaps one major advantage of the Baby Bolo is that it can’t be reversed as easily compared to the Berimbolo.
Whilst senior bolo players won’t get reversed, you will often see this happen a lot in the gym. Even if someone initiates the original bolo, it can get reversed mid-inversion. However, with the Baby Bolo this isn’t an option as you’re never inverting which doesn’t give the opponent a chance to reverse it. In summary, the Baby Bolo is probably one of Jiu Jitsu’s overlooked move that can seriously change your de la riva game and improve your back takes so it may be worth consideration.
