Judo Takedowns - Sensitivity building?

Question

How do I work on building sensitivity in Judo? We randori for 30 minutes every day, but what should I be concentrating on during practice?

By sensitivity, I mean when an opponent grabs/clinches you, you instinctually react to maintain your stability and slip into a counter throw.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Instincts in judo and other martial arts comes through repetition. One thing good to great judokas learn is to relax. There is one more thing you may want to try. We used to spar (randori) blindfolded. You will be amazed at how much better you become as a fighter by doing this. It triggers several things in you. You build better fighting posture. You stop looking down when you fight. You relax more. You learn to feel where your opponent is and what they are doing. It make countering and attacking so effortless.