My wife has an interest in pain. Relieving pain, not causing it, so she doesn’t do Kendo 😉 In a discussion about human neurology she said “Neurons that fire together, wire together”. That really stuck with me.
This is how we learn. When we start Kendo training our bodies and brains aren’t used to the motions Kendo demands. Over time we learn – the neurons in our brain that have been firing when we strike men become more connected – and we become more coordinated as a result.
I think this concept also applies to the “second dojo” – the trip to a local watering hole after Kendo. The shared experiences in the dojo help a dojo’s individual members become part of a larger whole. Going through a tough experience together helps build bonds between people.
Improving your Kendo requires your neurons to bond. Building your club requires club members to bond. Fire together, wire together.