In no particular order…

1. Show up
2. Pay attention
3. Focus
4. Do the drills to the best of your ability
5. Listen to feedback your sensei and sempai give you and others
6. Implement
7. Have an open mind
8. Be disciplined
9. Take notes
10. Work on your basics
11. Have a plan
12. Push yourself
13. Exercise outside the dojo
14. Stretch: dynamic before practice, static post-practice
15. Be aware of what you eat and drink
16. Do more suburi
17. Ask for feedback
18. Use video to analyze your strengths and areas that need improvement
19. Be aware of what you’re doing without overthinking
20. Focus on the positive while being aware of what you can do better
21. Take good care of your dojo
22. See every moment in the dojo as an opportunity to improve
23. Visit other dojos
24. Introduce more people to kendo and help grow your dojo
25. Attend tournaments and seminars
26. Improve your control
27. Be the best person you can be inside and outside of the dojo
28. Take care of your equipment and uniform
29. Get enough sleep
30. Have fun

There’s no secret to having great kendo. It just takes a lot of focus, discipline, and hard work.