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From a garage dojo with ten adult students to a leading martial arts school in Howell, NJ — this is how Inner-Power Martial Arts was built, and why it exists today.
It started in a garage.
In 2001, I converted my garage into a small dojo. I started with 10 adult students, teaching practical self-defense and Hapkido in the evenings after work.
We trained hard — sometimes late into the night — building what would eventually become one of the most respected martial arts communities in Howell, New Jersey.
Some of the original garage students who helped get it all started.
Master McCann's Self Defense Academy.
With the support of my wife and a close friend, I officially opened my academy in Howell, NJ in the summer of 2005.
At the time, I was known locally — and even on the early internet — as a hard-core martial arts instructor focused on real-world self-defense. Adult Hapkido classes emphasized practical striking, joint locks, throws, and control techniques designed for real-life situations.
We also offered a kids program in Howell, teaching traditional forms and fundamentals similar to karate and taekwondo schools.
But over time, something changed.
Our original location on Route 9 in Howell, summer of 2005.
Then my daughter was bullied.
Years later, my daughter Erin experienced bullying in middle school. That moment forced me to rethink how children are taught martial arts and self-defense.
I realized that while traditional forms and tournament-style training have value, kids need practical self-defense skills they can confidently use if necessary.
So I shifted our focus. Instead of emphasizing only kicking and forms, I began teaching children real Hapkido techniques — leverage-based self-defense, redirection, control, and confidence-building strategies specifically designed to help kids handle bullying safely and effectively.
The results were undeniable.
Erin and her brother Sean inspired the anti-bullying, confidence-building changes at Inner-Power Martial Arts.
The CORE 24 Hapkido System.
Inspired by Erin's experience, I built a curriculum specifically for young students — 24 core Hapkido moves distilled from traditional training and re-engineered to be age-appropriate, repeatable, and actually useful in the real situations kids face.
Over the years, we've helped hundreds of children in Howell and the surrounding communities grow more confident, more focused, and more resilient. Many have earned black belts. Many trained for a season of life. Every one of them gained something powerful.
The birth of
Inner-Power.
For years, the school carried different names — names that reflected martial arts, but not our true mission.
During the COVID shutdown, when everything slowed down, I had time to reflect on what we really offer families in Howell, NJ. It became clear:
We don't just teach Hapkido. We use Hapkido as the tool to develop something greater — the inner power already inside every child, teen, and adult who walks through our doors.
That realization led to the name Inner-Power Martial Arts.
Direct lineage to Hapkido's founder.
Master McCann is an official Jung Ki Kwan registered Master with direct lineage to the founder of Hapkido through Grandmaster Lim, Hyun Soo — the most senior living 9th Dan student of Hapkido's founder, Choi Young Su.
That matters. It means what's taught on our mats isn't reinvented — it's inherited, tested, and passed down with care.
35+ years on the mat.
- ★Started his Hapkido journey in 1990
- ★Official Jungki Kwan Hapkido Master — direct lineage to Grandmaster Lim Hyun Soo
- ★Inducted into multiple Martial Arts Halls of Fame
- ★Developed the CORE 24 Hapkido System for Kids
- ★Guest instructor at schools across Howell, Freehold Regional, and Jackson school districts
- ★Teaches law enforcement defensive tactics to Monmouth and Ocean County departments
"I help kids and adults of all ages build confidence — fast — using a unique martial art called Hapkido."— Master Brian McCann
More than a school.
A community.
Our team is homegrown — many of our instructors began as students in our Howell programs and chose to stay, grow, and help others. We've built more than a martial arts school in Howell, NJ. We've built a community.
2024 Monmouth County
Community's Choice Finalist.
Voted by the families that trust us with their kids and themselves week after week — and backed by a five-star Google rating.
The next chapter is yours.
If you're searching for Hapkido classes, kids martial arts, or practical self-defense training in Howell — we'd love to meet you.
4244 U.S. 9, Howell Township, NJ · Candlewood Plaza (next to Five Guys) · 732-886-5556