1
We paid $1,745.48.
We paid $1,745.48 in full for the program.
Independent consumer experience • Howell, New Jersey
Before You Pay Inner Power Martial Arts, Read My Experience.
This is about Inner Power Martial Arts in Howell, NJ and owner Brian McCann. We paid $1,745.48. Our son took zero classes. We asked for a refund.
My name and my son's identifying information have been removed. The business name, owner, location, dates, payment amount, and correspondence are shown because they are central to the experience being documented.
A parent's documented experience.
Emails, payment information, dates, and the business's response are presented so other parents can decide for themselves.
“If a child never takes a single class, should the school keep the entire prepaid amount?”
The three points that matter
Three facts. No extra noise.
2
Our son took zero classes.
The program was intended to be used as an alternative to gym at school. The school arrangement was not approved, so our son never attended a single class.
3
We tried to make a refund easy.
We offered to let Inner Power keep $125 for the time spent preparing the school letter, and we offered to let the remaining refund be repaid over six months to make it easier on the business.
What happened when we asked
Brian answered once. Then, according to our records, he did not answer the follow-ups.
This section separates what Brian actually wrote from what happened afterward.
“Our policy does not include refunds for our programs.”
Brian responded to the original refund request and offered these alternatives:
- Freeze the membership for up to 12 months.
- Transfer the membership to another family member.
- Split the membership into two separate five-month memberships.
We explained the zero classes and offered two compromises.
We followed up in writing, explained that our son had never attended a class, offered to leave $125 with the business, and offered a six-month repayment plan.
According to our records, Brian McCann did not respond to those later emails.
!
We were not asking Brian to absorb the cost of classes our son used. Our son never took one.
The follow-up email
Read what we actually offered.
The strongest parts are highlighted. My identifying information has been removed.
Thanks for getting back to me.
I understand your general refund policy, but this isn't a typical situation. My son never ended up taking a single class — the school gym exemption didn't go through, and he'll be doing gym again next year. Option 2 just didn't work out.
When we signed up, we were told that if he didn't get approved for the program at school, we'd be able to get a refund. That's what I relied on when I paid for the full year.
I know you spent time putting together the contract and exemption letter. I think $125 is fair compensation for your time, and I'm happy to leave that with you. But I would like a refund for the remainder of the payment, since no services were ever used and no classes ever taken.
I've held off on getting back to you these past few months because I wanted to be certain we wouldn't need the program next year. Now that it's clear he'll be doing gym again, I'd like to resolve this.
If it's easier for your business, I'm fine with the refund (minus the $125) being paid out in monthly installments over six months. I'm just trying to handle this fairly and avoid needing to go through small claims, but I'll take that step if we can't work something out.
Let me know how you'd like to proceed.
NAME REDACTED
Read Brian McCann's original response
“Thanks for reaching out. Sorry to hear about the gym situation not working out for you guys.”
“While our policy does not include refunds for our programs, I'd like to offer you a few options that will help:”
- Membership Freeze: freeze the membership for up to 12 months.
- Transfer Membership: transfer the membership to another family member.
- Split Membership: convert the current membership into two separate five-month memberships if both children attend.
The identifying information in the original email thread has been omitted here.
“No long-term contract. No risk.”
That language appears on Inner Power Martial Arts' current website as of August 13, 2026.
Who and where this is about
Inner Power Martial Arts • Brian McCann • Howell, NJ
Inner Power Martial Arts
Brian McCann
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4244 US-9
Howell, NJ 07731
Howell, NJ 07731
The business name, Brian McCann's role, and the Howell address are also identified on the school's current public website.