Books by aladar kogler

[whtouche]

Anyone here with any experience with them or have any insight as to what they're about/recommend one over the other?
There's two that Ive found.

PLANNING TO WIN,
Aladar Kogler, Phd

and

CLEARING THE PATH TO VICTORY,
Aladar Kogler, PhD.

I want both, but I might have to chose between them. Advice? Are they even worth it?

[wflaschka]

whtouche -- where might you be getting these books? I'm interested myself. I remember hearing once that the fencing books are quite good; Kogler also has a yoga book which is well reviewed, if that's any indication.

[whtouche]

http://amfence.com/html/books_fencing.html

That's the only place I've found them, tho supposedly santellic and zivkovic sell them as well. But not that Ive seen listed on their websites.

[JEC]

Planning to Win is an annual training system/program/diary for the very serious competitive fencer. It is based on the training program of several olympian fencers. The other book is a motivation psychology book.

[jeff]

Santelli has the "Clearing the path to victory" book:

http://www.santelli.com/framesstore/books.html

Or, from the home page , click on Gifts/Extras (in the left navigation), then click on "fencing books" link.

[bjacobs]

Hi, Ben. Aladar was my coach this year at school, and he ran weekly mental training sessions for the team. The stuff covered there was interesting and useful if you practiced it regularly. However, if you tried any of the mental things at a competition or during a bout without working on them before hand you'd be inclined to think it was all bull****. I haven't read his books, but can testify that he knows what he's talking about.

[jeff]

I don't know about his books, but he's got an outstanding record teaching fencers, including a good number of Olympic team members. See http://www.columbia.edu/cu/athletics...g/coaches.html
for a list of achievements.

[jspierre]

I've read them both, and there's reasons to own both. Planning to Win is the only book I know of fencing that lays out a systematic approach to developing a self-tailored training program. In my view, you don't have to be on the upper senior points standing to benefit from the organizational ideas, if not the concepts, in the book. The other one, is quite useful too; again, I think, Kolger stands alone in writing a fencing psychology book in English. He draws from alot of E. European original source material, and adds his own elements, much of which has to do with breath control (yogic breathing) to help optimize performance ability. I found a lot in the book very useful, and reread parts of it from time to time. Kolger himself, I am told 2nd hand, is very quirky, very elietist, and prone to drop students who are not making consistently high competition results. I think he knows a serious, determined and mentally strong athelet when he encounters one, and uses this yardstick to weed out, (maybe ruthlessly), projected underperformers. He has his strong admirers, and more than a few detractors, including more than a few who seem to feel that turbulence at the NYAC fencing program is partly his making.

Net net, he seems to be a major figure in US fencing, if not intl fencing by reputation, and results.

Really cannot advise which book to buy if you had a choice. Really depends on what you want to do fencing-wise. I bought the training book first simply to creat a framework to develop in the sport, and bought the psychology book later, once my training got grounded, and I started to compete.

[wflaschka]

Originally posted by jspierre
Kolger himself, I am told 2nd hand, is very quirky, very elietist, and prone to drop students who are not making consistently high competition results.

Yes, it had to be said. "Quirky" is the right word -- not too unkind, but recognizing that he's an odd duck. It's not for nothing that Columbia has 2 coaches, one for teaching (Kogler) and one for getting the team to actually function (Kolumbatovitch).

While I was fencing at the NYFC, Kogler frequently gave high-level lessons to a lot of good fencers. I sort of dismissed him as a crackpot, but instead I should have been studying his teaching methods. From what I remember, his lessons (with women at least) contained very little bladework, and heavily emphasized speed, distance and accelleration. I never saw him build anyone from scratch; he's more of a "finisher."

In all, he seemed like a nice guy who smiled when you said hi (and I always addressed him as "Sir"), and a very exacting competitive coach. Lots of good coaches are eccentric; Kogler is always used as the main example.

[vegan]

Hi all,
I own most of them . . . the books are quite good- and ideas contained within are great- if practiced regularly. However, be warned that some of the chapters are direct reprints from other books. For instance, Yoga for Athletes has several chapters on mental training; a slight edit from Clearing the Path to Victory. The mental training aspect is exellent, and something that a great deal of fencers could stand to learn (Myself- I could stand to be better at it!). Buy all three of his books- they are all good!
Cheers,
B.