How Kip started..
An idea born from a passion for martial arts and the enjoyment of helping young people learn and develop; the story of a kickboxing bear cub was created with the intention of producing something that would be enjoyable for readers, give something back to the martial arts community and help educate the youth, and society as a whole.
Kip was created by author Andy McF with initial artistic input from friend and training partner Scott McN. The inspiration came when Andy was training towards his 1st degree black belt in Korean Kickboxing, studying the martial arts and gaining a deeper understanding of the associated philosophies.
Fast forward a few years and the idea has materialised into an upcoming book series with the help of a professional design team consisting of illustrator, Jess (The Ricketty Desk) and designer, Mary (MD Creations)
Prior to launch, Andy would love to get out there and give audiences an insight into the book series through Reading, Question and Answer sessions. As a (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) STEM ambassador through his work, an assistant Kickboxing Instructor at his club, a father and an uncle, he has a wealth of experience in dealing with young people across all age groups; being fully certified through Disclosure Scotland.
Andy would love to hear from you so if you would like to arrange a visit at your club, school, nursery, library etc then please get in touch
Author Bio
A dedicated father and husband, Andy enjoys a lot of time travelling and spending time outdoors kayaking, running, hill walking and cycling – much of where his inspiration for writing comes from.
Andy is a Chartered Civil Engineer and former Army Reservist, having served in the Parachute Regiment and latterly Royal Engineers over a successful career. Much of the experiences and lessons gained from this have helped shape Kip and his adventures drawing out characteristics such as courage, discipline, resilience and problem solving; to name a few.
He has a passion for martial arts, kickboxing at international level holding a 2nd degree black belt in Korean Kickboxing in addition to being a 3 x Tatami World Champion through the World Kickboxing & Karate Association (WKA). Andy enjoys coaching and developing others in the sport and hopes to inspire more people across all age groups to live active and healthy lives through the promotion of martial arts in the book series.
Kip the Bear Cub 