{"article":{"id":139075,"heading":"Not Martial Arts, cRuiciaL aRtS (visionary!)","author":"un-corralling himself","created":"2005-11-10 21:57:52","modified":"2005-11-10 22:13:36","last_modified":"Fri, 11 Nov 2005 05:13:36","article":"

(see next sections of this in \"comments\" section below!)

(this is much better hand-written\/drawn, but i lack resources to change that, at this *point*)

some people just gotta have it, gotta have war. (bear with me please) But they don't know that there's a difference between always society war (a form of low intensity war) and world elite routine severe alienation war...aNd there's also another t o t a l l y other formulation of this thing we *like* so much about 'war' war war war war!

NOT MARTIAL ARTS war, mind you,

but

cRuCiaL aRtS waR!

CruciaL aRts(z) war--

The CLASH of hearts FINALLY SPEAKING,

processing, being & becoming;

ju-jitsuing planted colonization traps!

ARtinG our deepest desires in process!

Permitting ourselves!

RealizinG the vaLue of being radically excellent and\/or beautiful with each other!

(not that there's a hierarchy of rigid value; it's all informal human beings daring to be their HEARTS in continually becoming depth arts(z)!)

*************************************

(i's\/you's could use funding. i's\/you's could use critical thinking. i's\/you's could if others would. If not, i's'll (and you's'll?) go on & continue anyway, 'cutting' bigger corners--hey, i kinda like being thinner again finally, anyway!)

*************************************

MARTIAL ARTS?

yOU've known it since you were a kid

encouraged to fight to

go to meaningful depth.

Yet now such becomes so old, so over-done, so fucking fucked-up.

cRuciAL aRts?

Old wayz with the new!

Pow-Wow-Pows dancing at multiversities of phires, AIM 'activists' tryin to compell their semi-colonized wills, us all artinG back and forth, til we start to see!

Ganja peace circles, Beer peace circles, Liquor Peace Circles, aNd so on

Drink and\/or 'drug' til ya drop.

Then we see some of our truths &

move on to another tes(z)t.****

Shall we (critter crawlin on my paper too) always be reduced

to fearing, punching, kicking, biting, destroying?

i don't kno about yOu, but:

i's aM mUCH MORE & look,

some of i's, it's 'just *us*' to SOAR, to coRe, to

cruciaL aRtS rOaR! (and thus, cruciaL artS(z) goes to 'war'.)

(****denotes old-style art-texting that puts both \"s\" & \"z\" together in one letter)

(next section is \"Handling G.I. Joe\" in comment area below!)<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","summary":"Let's face it, today's society is a form of 'low intensity war'; we are a colonized lot, compelled away from our pre-colonized imaginations long ago. We are bred to fight, and we regularly fall back on all we know. Then, to evolve the situation, to "wage peace", some of us are going to go to a kind of "peace war". This war is the war of cRuciaL aRts, not Martial Arts. Sections include: intro scenario, a craZy sketch, then a realistic sketch; after that is 'seeking to articulate'","numcomment":4,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2005\/11\/caughtorangehanded.jpg","filesize":"116.7 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2005\/11\/139075.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2005\/11\/caughtorangehanded.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2005\/11\/caughtorangehanded.jpgthumb.jpg","medium":"\/uploads\/2005\/11\/caughtorangehanded.jpgmid.jpg"}},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":139076,"heading":"Second section, cRuciaL aRtS!","article":"(a little craZy po-eh-tree heaviness for thoze who like art imaging ness: )\r\nG.I. Joe is over there on his path just a few seconds before he is 'obliterated' in an explosion.\r\ni's spirit comes in from another dimension floating in a trippie(y)-looking craft \r\nS L O W - M O (Joe as slo-mo too)\r\nJust as Joe is compelled away, i & a greaT loVinG doG in the sky do a fly by\r\n(that is, i guess we were floating there waiting for a crucial moment in your 'not able to listen' and\r\nyour planet came speeding by (at thousands of miles per hour) & we reached out & kinda touched you (heh), but more like "grabbed" you---with 'kid gloves' &\r\nbrought yOu into our LoVe stYLe wayz.\r\n. . . . . . . . . wayZ(s) that make your eyes sparkle,\r\nyour heart wanting to love living again.\r\n"Love living?" retorts a surprised young\/old G.i. Joe, "Why I Love living right back there, shooting and killing with all those supersofisticated death machines and shit! Fuck, I'm livin' more than I ever have!"\r\n*"So sad,"* we reply. *"But 'sexy', i\/we suppose. All those big-dick guns and automatic come-shots and climax orgasms of fire...all that fucking each other...oh, can humanity get any 'higher'?"*\r\n"Huh???!?" says Joe.\r\n(go to next comment below..."a realistic sketch")","author":"playing with imagin-ation!","parent_id":139075,"mime_type":"image\/gif","created":"2005-11-10 22:00:31","modified":"2005-11-10 22:00:31","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2005\/11\/tyedyebar.gif","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2005\/11\/tyedyebar.gif"}},{"id":139077,"heading":"Third section: a more realistic sketch!","article":"III.\r\n\r\n(now to a realistic sketch)\r\nso. You've HAD IT with shit shit shit & you're on the brink\r\nof war war war WAR W A R goddammnit!\r\nAnd your demonized enemy is also ready to go.\r\nBut then strange ==music== is heard.\r\nWha tha fu--?\r\nNOISE really, lots and lots of it, from seemingly everywhere. And then, what's that?????????\r\nMichael Jacko singing as a kid, singing 'A,B,C, 1-2-3'!??\r\nAnd then a clan of Scottish pipers piping in\r\n& then a little heavy metal &\r\nsome uni-fie(y)d (w)rapperz(s) spinnin right in\r\nin a jazzy-ass way\r\n&\r\ny'all can't help but stand there with your mouths hanging open\r\n\r\nand then how about them comedians who also finally escaped corralled stages? Whattya think they might then do?\r\n\r\nand after awhile, once the ol' frame of reference of 'consumer'\/'audience' has kicked in,\r\nan aRmY of maNy others(z) and others still (maybe the funda-mentalist religionists), all aRtiNg ourseLves\r\n(up to our imagin-ation!)\r\n(see next...!)","author":"becoming with a little more input","parent_id":139075,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-11-10 22:02:16","modified":"2005-11-10 22:02:16","fileurl":""},{"id":139078,"heading":"Fourth Section: articulating more","article":"IV.\r\n
\r\n

Dissent Welcome!<\/H1>\r\n

\r\n

"Dare deeper than the roots on every issue of your concern, to where the roots systematically come from, --the heart of the matter. To realize the depth value of seeking the *root of the roots*---to the HEART!"\r\n<\/CENTER>\r\n

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the \r\nunreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all \r\nprogress depends on the unreasonable man."--George Bernard Shaw (note: i don't bow down to him, i just like dis ideah!)<\/FONT> \r\n

Imagine  living  in  a  world\r\nwhere people \r\n      began to realize \r\n                   the VALUE \r\n                 of deep, on-going efforts \r\nto get along \r\nand understand each other \r\n          BEYOND<\/I> perpetual war (at home and abroad).<\/PRE>\r\n
Imagine a kind of society which encourages<\/I> and rewards<\/I> people \r\nfor their *ability*<\/I> to openly dissent AS WELL AS empathize with others! \r\nAll towards an inclusive idea of
*mutually beneficial outcomes*.<\/H2>\r\n
\r\n
If you can still allow yourself to imagine such a world, or something like \r\nthis, then you may have the kind of excellent *indomitable* spirit that \r\ni'm seeking to enhance and promote and put into motion, via a way of doing \r\nthings that i call the *Crucial Arts*. \r\n
The Crucial Arts is a way of doing things deeply rather than superficially, \r\nor in the case of social issues, seeking root or heart<\/I> change rather than \r\nmere reform. The Crucial Arts is a vision for being, thinking, and doing in ways \r\nthat not only utilize known ways as tools, but as well yet not-known ways. The \r\nbottom line being a *need* for the unique arting input of a multiversity of \r\ncreativity, especially yours<\/I>! Your arting style<\/I> of desiring to not \r\nmerely survive but also THRIVE<\/BLINK>--in order to make visions and \r\ncommunity that perpetually include (rather than exclude or dominate) towards \r\nmeaningful depth, or going *to the heart* of matters. \r\n
The pages herein are meant to stir up your independent-minded creativity and \r\nvisionary desire with in-the-heart visions, art, spoken word, ideas, and \r\nanalysis which you won't usually find easily.<\/H3>\r\n
\r\n(more below in comments section!)<\/H1>","author":"becoming while un-corralling!","parent_id":139075,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2005-11-10 22:08:34","modified":"2005-11-10 22:08:34","fileurl":""},{"id":139079,"heading":"Fifth and last section (for now)","article":"(continued from 'author' portion)\r\n....becoming bridgings, connections, ju-jitsuing severely alienated care into less alienating care, arting together (more and more crucially), realizing the value of radically empathizing\r\n\r\nanti-copyright, pass around with heart-speed if yOu like.\r\n\r\nV.\r\n\r\n
\r\n
Intro to the Crucial Arts<\/CENTER>\r\n
Basically, doing the *Crucial Arts* is an attitude, a way of thinking, \r\nbecoming, being, and interacting--towards an openly challengeable<\/I> claim \r\nof *mutually beneficial outcomes* (MBO's). It is a way of creative liberation, \r\nbeyond the confines of ideology and every political imagination i've seen. \r\n
Beyond Givens
The philosophy of the Crucial Arts proves the value of \r\nwaking up to and moving beyond the coerced Givens so normalized in our \r\nWar-subordinated societies (a). Givens (i.e. "This is The Way Things Are So You \r\nBetter Get Used To It") are spoon-fed to persons systematically alienated and \r\ndivided from their desires and made to subordinate to the interests and severely \r\nalienated beliefs of the terrorist elite, whether manifesting as States, kings, \r\nor gurus (b). \r\n
For instance, the Martial Arts claims great ideals, yet for centuries this \r\nway has practiced war--maiming and killing--as its most integral<\/I> way of \r\ninteracting with rigid systems and their forced or manipulated fighters. There \r\nis no liberation here, only two groups of highly manipulated persons seeking to \r\nimpose their wills on the other, often at the behest of their leader, or \r\n"master". \r\n
The Crucial Arts provides an escape. \r\n
As well, the Crucial Arts *also* shows the folly of rigidly pacifist \r\nnonviolence, providing an escape from that ghetto as well. Both ways have some \r\nvalue, given extreme contexts, yet are so limiting of their adherents' potential \r\nthat they prove, as rigid systems often do, to be more boon to stated ideals \r\nthan alleged progressions. \r\n
\r\n
"If maiming and killing solved anything, we would have been living \r\n  free of the problems they allegedly solve long ago."--unattributed <\/bLOCKQUOTE>\r\n
On the other hand, the Crucial Arts seeks to utilize, as its main mode of \r\nvision, operation and interaction, the broad imagination potential<\/b> and \r\ncreativity of its utilizers, each taking various leading roles as they dare. \r\n
Underlying the proactive "action" face of the Crucial Arts is the general \r\nseeking of community and mutual aid of *individuals* with other individuals \r\n(i.e. persons liberated from the confines of ideology) towards a *multiversity* \r\nof inter-dependent persons, groups, and camps seeking excelling beautifulness. \r\n
Not that being "beautiful" necessarily means a rigid orientation to what many \r\npeople seem to think of when they think of "utopia" or "peace". Instead, the \r\nCrucial Arts way is a way of *being real* with each other in non-moralistic ways \r\n(wanting even to escape from the rigid underlying demands of what "morality" \r\nsupposedly stands for)(d). \r\n
So, to draw up an illustration, the Crucial Arts is a militant style of \r\npeace, seeking to embrace the indomitable spirit of rebels and challengers, \r\nwhile not letting the ways in which they are tooled (by the domineering \r\nparadigm) continue to mine and tool us. Thus we realize the value of \r\nindivudially choosing to avoid or jiu-jitsu that both overt and covert social \r\nconditioning which has tooled us--so that we may most freely move towards our \r\nmost basic loved desires. \r\n
Such as our most basic *desires* of wanting beautiful meaning in our lives. \r\nOf wanting to live excellently, fully, and even wildly! Our most basic desires \r\nto utilize the imagination and intuition we usually learn to distrust and \r\nsuppress in our schooling years. These desires we often nurse and secretly hold \r\nonto underneath layers and layers of armor in what become, over time, the \r\nfortresses of ourselves. \r\n
\r\n
\r\n\r\n
"Why can't we all just get along?"--Rodney King, victim of \r\n  municipal soldier brutality <\/bLOCKQUOTE>\r\n
\r\n\r\n
Extremes
Whether we are so-called "idealistic" and "naive", or \r\nwell-seasoned in the worst stupidities of humanity, both extremes long to find \r\nways to get along with others in meaningful ways. We just don't accept the idea \r\nthat it's so-called "human nature" to continue waging varying amounts of \r\nstupidity at each other. Nor do we accept the belief, popular today amongst \r\nvanguards and intellectuals today, that subtle coercion--aka the "manufacture of \r\nconsent" is the way towards sanity. We know in our hearts that it *is possible* \r\nto basically cooperate, even when we don't have too many experiences. We see the \r\nimpediments, and they are usually having nothing to do with individual people so \r\nmuch as organized people (e). To at the very least keep bridges between each \r\nother which may prove mutually beneficial as mutual trust builds. \r\n
On the other hand, maiming and killing people destroys bridges with others, \r\nsince people are forced to hide or suppress their true feelings when violence or \r\nthreatened violence coerces so-called bridges. \r\n
\r\n
"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." \r\n<\/bLOCKQUOTE>\r\n
So, the Crucial Arts is a way of proceeding towards this connection in both \r\nmicro and macro--with each other as individuals (the micro), and each other as \r\ncommunities or camps (the macro). \r\n
To actually attain this depth of connection with others, whether in defensive \r\nmode or *on the offensive*, we see that we must find ways to escape the traps \r\nthat keep us rigidly divided from each other. \r\n
The way i've found to escape those traps is by *going to the heart* of \r\nsituations personal and seemingly impersonal. Going to the heart means to find \r\nout what situations perpetuate challenges, either to our own thinking and \r\nbeliefs, or those of others. The best way i've found in my imperfect search is \r\nthe way of mutually beneficial liberation. \r\n
So, the crucial arts is a way of doing things which first uncovers and \r\ndemystifies, and then explores ways of doing things that liberate our \r\nimaginations and desires. For me, this means playing with and working at ways of \r\npromoting escapes and liberations from the situations and beliefs which keep \r\npeople feeling powerless and lost, and thus prime product for exploitation and \r\nmining.<\/FONT> \r\n
In order to go seriously towards such escapes and \r\nliberations, we're going to have to realize the value of "digging deeper"<\/I> \r\nthan what we've previously imagined--because every way we have so far dug has \r\nproved to not solve the problems we face! And such problems, or challenges, \r\ncontinue to crop up in new forms! \r\n
It is here that i say we need to<\/FONT> *go to the HEART*<\/I>, to the CRUX of things; to the place that perpetuates the same old \r\nconsequences and allows them to thrive--and "mess with" that. To become \r\nconscious of these realities via empathy, walking in another's moccasins, and \r\nrealizing the value of doing so. Thus we evolve!<\/H4><\/FONT>\r\n
A way i have found to go to the heart<\/I><\/b><\/FONT> \r\nis to help spread deep ideas, experiences, and insights, as already articulated by as broad a spectrum of people as possible.<\/A> \r\nAnd to promote a continued orientation to critical thinking<\/I> about \r\nsituations which many seem to uncritically<\/I> overlook. \r\n
If you know of any art, spokenword, critiques, and visionary writings on \r\ntopics across the spectrum which help shed light on a broad<\/b> picture, \r\nplease email me at intheheart2 [at] ziplip.com
<\/FONT><\/FONT>\r\n
\r\n
upcoming points:<\/H3>
direct action: interactors and teams
*spanarchy* (a social system which \r\nincorporates the stated and idealized ideals of all systems, thought of and yet \r\nto be thought of.)
\r\n
\r\n\r\n
reFerences:
a) for a broad crucial arts-styled analysis see here<\/A>; for a more general page \r\nof crucial depth see here<\/A>. b) \r\na reference to the terrorist elite comes from the excellent insight of John \r\nTrudell when he speaks of states and their minions not having "power" so much as \r\nthe ability to carry out military terrorism. See his 'We Are Power' speech<\/A> for more info \r\non this idea and way of looking. c) spanarchy link forthcoming d) see this critique<\/A> of morality e) See Aldous Huxley (in _Brave New World--REVISITED_) on the \r\ndanger of "uniform man" and man becoming an "automaton"
\r\nFurther reading:

\r\n 1)  The closest Euro-centric political theory i've found to the Crucial Arts and  spanaRchY is the post-left methodology. See Jason McQuinn's article on this. See also C.A.L.'s (Columbia Anarchist League) "As We See It" manifesto (?).  (note: i claim that spanarchy encompasses post-Left anarchist analysis, claimed ideals, amongst other analyses and ideals that resonate also; yet goes possibly further in a old\/new "rendition")\r\n
 2) "The Revolution of Everyday Life" by Raoul Vaneigem","author":"perfectly imperfect artings of each other...","parent_id":139075,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2005-11-10 22:13:36","modified":"2005-11-10 22:13:36","fileurl":""}]}