Kids working on their BJJ Flow

The berimbolo is a technique derived from the de la Riva guard. It is performed by the guard player to take the opponent’s back, typically by using inverting and spinning movements. By spinning, the guard player will be able to take the back of the opponent. Alternatively, you can also sweep an opponent using this motion, known as the helicopter. 

It is debatable who invented this technique. Some claim that the father of the berimbolo is Marcel Ferreira. The story goes that he discovered and showcased the move around the 1990s. Others believe it was Samuel Braga who founded the technique during his black belt debut in 2005. He even claimed that he developed the technique during his days as a colored belt. Ultimately, it was Andre Galvao who named the technique berimbolo, which means ‘scramble’ in Brazilian Portuguese.

From the time the berimbolo entered the spotlight in the early 2000s, the technique has been in a constant state of development and is used in the highest levels of competition.