Millions of martial artists around the world dress in uniforms of an ancient time, and adhering to concepts as ancient as their garb.
Professional background
Passionate about objectively great products and problems worth solving.
I’m currently the founder of Ascendable, making missions manifest, helping ambitious founders create the best possible products. I’m a product design leader 🚀 with 21 years hands-on commercial experience, working for businesses from micro-, right up to PLCs.
Most of my experience has been in Enterprise SaaS, but also with local and national brands such as The AA, Stella Artois, Tesco, Hotel Chocolat, etc. I have been in leadership roles for 7 years. Previously Head of Design & Research, EU Amazon Payment Products. Before that, Head of UX, and Head of Product, at a FTSE 250 business.
I’ve had a significant exposure to Data Science (incl. ML and AI) and I’m passionate about combining Qualitative (Human-centred Design, ISO 9241-210:2019) with Quantitative (statistical data science, ISO 20252:2019) research.
Elsewhere on the internet
The Martial Arts Delusion
How society changes the nature of experiences and ideas
Published by Armipotent Publishing, 2011 (1st Ed. 2008)
Perfect-Bound Paperback, 471 pages
This book was written under my nom-de-plume 'James Wallhausen' in order to separate my private and professional activities.
Original thinking
Volatile Aggressive-Resistant Event (VARE)
Separation of Concerns
Typology of physical conflict
Fight-logic ('Eskirmologics')
Skillsets and Attributes
Hoplologism
Systemics of Combat
Typology of Combat Systems
Institutionalisation of Hoplologisms
The Martial Arts Organism
Anthropic Combat System
Martial Arts Criticism
Inventing Martial Arts
When I wrote how humans experience the world, and codify that experience to pass it on to others, I specifically had Martial Arts in mind. I used examples from religion and science to demonstrate the phenomenon occured in these fields too. I suggested that second-hand information wasn't as strong a determinant to one's thinking or behaviours than first-hand experience. Since then, I have observed this phenomenon in many places.
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Nice things people have said
I wish Jamie Acutt’s book the great success it deserves, as it is a groundbreaking piece of work!
Jamie Acutt’s knowledge of the martial arts is truly encyclopedic. Here, he puts it all to use in creating a highly academic volume that rigorously analyzes combat systems past and present.
