The Central Canada Martial Arts Association brings together true martial artists from across Canada who share an interest in self-protection and in the development of their arts. We keep the traditional methods as close to the original as we can, and we certify every member in Powell’s Personal Combat System.
Our head school is Powell’s Martial Arts Academy.
The Central Canada Martial Arts Association was established in 1988 by Grandmaster Gary Powell as a way to pull together true martial artists from across Canada who are interested in self-protection and in the development of their arts. Grandmaster Justin Powell has served as President since 2019.
Our main aim is to restore the arts by removing tournament-style teaching and keeping to the ancient methods, or the ones closest to the original, when performing patterns (pattern, hyung, tul, poomsae, kata).
We also teach and certify all members in Powell’s Personal Combat System, so that people have a proper knowledge of:
The association teaches the unity of the original methods of Tae Kwon Do with a simple form of range fighting known as Powell’s Personal Combat System. It includes all ranges of kicking, hand striking, joint locking and ground fighting, and it is designed for street defence. It also includes the basic puzzle piece philosophy, five basic rules of self-protection and more. This is part of the adult curriculum only.
Powell’s Personal Combat System was created by Grandmaster Gary Powell. He took the traditional teachings he learned throughout his life and reflected on them against real-life street fighting experience. Every technique has been tested in live situations over the years and refined for maximum effect.
Grandmaster Powell designed each move to act as an open puzzle piece that can connect with any other technique or range of skill, creating endless possibilities.
Powell’s Personal Combat has three primary belt levels: Novice, Intermediate and Black Belt. After that, each Dan is awarded based on the student’s overall refinement of technique, as well as learning the history, philosophy and technique of different styles to show examples of their strengths and weaknesses based on the student’s skill. See the Resources tab for what each belt level requires for promotion.
All certification and belt ranks are issued directly by, and registered with, the Central Canada Martial Arts Association, and they follow the association’s grading process and its strict level of expertise.
Powell’s Martial Arts Academy has been the association’s Head Dojang since Grandmaster Gary Powell established the association in 1988. This website serves both the association and the Academy, with information about the association along with current programs, classes, events and news from the Academy.
This website is operated by Grandmaster Justin Powell, President of the Central Canada Martial Arts Association, on behalf of Gary Powell, 9th Dan and Founder of the association. All functions and posted information are approved by Grandmaster Gary Powell or contributed by him directly. Grandmaster Justin serves as technical adviser and developer of the site and will respond to any questions on behalf of Grandmaster Gary Powell.
Thank you for your support.
Welcome to Powell’s Martial Arts Academy! Whether you are a new student or a parent, this page answers the basic questions that come up after enrollment. The first question should be: what am I learning? It is an important thing to ask when joining any martial art.
Powell’s Martial Arts Academy was founded in 1984 by Grandmaster Gary Powell, who served as the school’s original Head Instructor. Since 1986 it has been based in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, proudly serving West Nipissing and the surrounding communities. With more than 40 years of martial arts history, the Academy continues a tradition that now spans generations.
Tae Kwon Do has several versions, typically labelled ITF and WT (originally WTF). Nine kwans were originally created. In modern times the ITF has split into many associations, each considering itself the head of the system.
ITF stands for International Tae Kwon Do Federation. This system typically uses the Chang Hon tul (hyung, kata). Chang Hon translates to “Blue Cottage” in Korean. The 1965 system originally had 20 hyung, which was later upgraded to the 24 tul used by the ITF.
World Taekwondo (WT) is supported by the Kukkiwon. Today it uses the Taegeuk poomsae, though older practitioners also used the Palgwe poomsae, and both are associated with WT.
Korean Karate, sometimes called Tang Soo Do or “China Hand Way,” is a Korean version of Shotokan karate and uses the same kata (hyung) as its Japanese parent art. The patterns used vary depending on the kwan.
At Powell’s Martial Arts Academy we offer all four styles of pattern (hyung, poomsae, kata) as part of one unified Tae Kwon Do curriculum. We keep every hyung as traditional as possible, using the most original versions known to the school and the association.
ITF students will notice that we use the older curriculum and only 20 hyung. We do not use Sin-Wave, which was a later addition to the art, and we continue to use the black belt hyung known as Ko-Dang. This is taught as Grandmaster Gary Powell learned the system and passed it down to his students. We also believe in the traditional Tae Kwon Do forging tools, which you will learn as you train here.
Powell’s Martial Arts Academy is the main school of the Central Canada Martial Arts Association. See the About Us tab to learn more about the association.
Our association focuses on non-tournament training for real protection. We do, however, offer training and access to the tournament scene, as Grandmaster Justin Powell opened this venue after several requests. Our focus is still self-protection above anything else.
All certifications and belt ranks are issued directly by, and registered with, the Central Canada Martial Arts Association.
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The guidelines below explain how students and parents are expected to act inside and outside the dojang.
Monthly membership fees are due within the first two classes of each month. Fees are due regardless of attendance, in order to maintain membership in good standing.
All tournament rules must be followed at all times when attending, competing in, coaching at, or representing Powell’s Martial Arts Academy at any tournament or competitive event.
All students compete first and foremost as representatives of Powell’s Martial Arts Academy. Competition is approached selflessly and without ego.
Even when selected for a provincial, national, international or world team, we are always firstly the school team. Outside team designations are an honour and an additional responsibility, but they do not replace the relationship between the student, their instructor, their classmates and their school.
Students are expected to show humility, respect, discipline, sportsmanship and support for their teammates regardless of individual results.
Trophies and major awards earned while representing the school are to be brought to the dojang for recognition and display. These achievements represent not only the individual competitor, but also the instructors, teammates and school that contributed to their preparation.
The Head Instructor of the school serves as Head Coach of the tournament team. The Head Instructor may appoint assistant coaches as required and may designate another qualified person to act in his place when he is unable to attend an event.
Students and parents are not to approach or request another instructor, coach, competitor or outside individual to coach a student without prior permission from the Head Instructor, or unless that person has been specifically delegated by the Head Coach.
This ensures competitors receive consistent instruction and that responsibility for their preparation remains clearly established.
Students on the school tournament team are not permitted to attend outside martial arts seminars, clinics, training camps or similar instructional events without prior permission from the Head Instructor.
Tournament participation does not give outside instructors or coaches automatic authority to train or instruct a Powell’s Martial Arts Academy student. Any outside training associated with a tournament, national team, world team or other competitive program must first be approved by the Head Instructor.
For national and world-level events requiring travel, accommodation or other significant expenses, arrangements must include the necessary costs for the designated coaching staff. These arrangements are to be established before committing to the event.
At tournaments, classmates and team members are expected to remain together and support one another throughout the event. Competitors may separate from the team when required to report to their assigned ring, staging area, warm-up area, weigh-in or other tournament activity. Once their own category is finished, students are expected to return to and support their school team.
When attending national or world-level competitions, we are always firstly the Powell’s Martial Arts Academy team. Students may compete under a larger provincial, national, organizational or international team designation, but our school team remains together and continues to operate under the direction of our Head Coach.
The team will take part in scheduled daily practices and preparation sessions together. Whenever practical, team members will watch events together, support one another at their rings, help teammates prepare, and conduct themselves as a unified school team throughout the competition.
The school sets its tournament schedule for each competitive year. Students representing Powell’s Martial Arts Academy are expected to take part in tournaments selected or approved by the school. Taking part in additional tournaments outside the school’s schedule requires prior approval from the Head Instructor. Students may not independently represent the school at an unapproved tournament.
A tournament trip is first and foremost a competitive team event. It is not to be treated as a vacation until the team’s competitive responsibilities have been completed. This includes the student’s own categories as well as reasonable responsibilities to assist, train with, warm up, encourage or support teammates who still have events remaining.
Once all competition responsibilities are completed, students and families are free to enjoy the rest of the trip.
Tournament competition is not simply about medals, trophies or individual recognition. We train together. We compete together. We support one another. We represent the school together. Individual achievement should strengthen the team, never place the individual above it.
This is an overview of Asian martial arts as it is explained to students while they are being taught. It may help explain why, when and where certain arts came from, give a general theory of how they developed, and show which forms (patterns, hyung, poomsae, kata) came from where. We also try, to the best of our ability, to list the history of the original forms in the major styles practised today.
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Adults and children follow the same colour scheme. The children’s curriculum is an easier, child-level version of the same ladder.
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Black belt requirements and above are taught in class.
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Powell’s Martial Arts Academy and the Central Canada Martial Arts Association grew out of one family’s lifetime in the martial arts, and the tradition now spans generations.
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Gary Powell was born in 1953 in the small town of Kapuskasing, Ontario. From an early age he was interested in the fighting arts, but in the days of his youth martial arts schools were hard to come by.
As a teenager he joined a wrestling team and was trained by an Olympic medalist. While practicing wrestling drills, Gary would watch the fencing team, who trained in the same hall, which gave him some insight into fencing. He later went south to Leamington, Ontario, to stay with his aunt, who was studying Judo and taught him many of its techniques during his stay.
His journey eventually led him to British Columbia, where he met a Tae Kwon Do master and began studying International Style Tae Kwon Do up to red belt. During this time Gary was a wild youth who got into many fights, which would later help him develop his own style of martial arts, Powell’s Personal Combat System.
Gary eventually moved back to Kapuskasing, where he met his wife, Judy. Wanting to return to the martial arts, he could only find a karate school teaching Wado. After a few years in that style he went back to Tae Kwon Do and earned his black belt certificate and permission to teach from Soo Kon Kim, a very famous Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster.
In 1984 Gary opened his first public dojang (Korean for martial arts school) in a basement studio on the circle in Kapuskasing. From there he exchanged knowledge with many masters and styles over the years, beginning with disciples of White Crane, Wing Chun, Shaolin Tai Pai, Shotokan, Goju Ryu, Vietnamese styles and many others.
In 1986 Gary moved with his family to Sturgeon Falls to relocate his school. Shortly afterwards he broke away from his teacher, who was pressuring him to compete. Gary does not believe in competing for trophies or money, but in practising to develop oneself and to have self-protection. In 1988 he established the Central Canada Martial Arts Association, and he designed his own style, Powell’s Personal Combat System.
Gary holds the rank of Founder, 9th Dan, in Traditional Tae Kwon Do and in Powell’s Personal Combat System. He served as President of the association until 2019, when he retired and passed the association and the title of President to Kwang Jang Nim Justin Powell.
Kwang Jang Nim
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Justin Powell was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, in 1982 into a martial arts family. His father, Grandmaster Gary Powell, began introducing him to the movements and principles of martial arts in infancy, beginning what would become a lifelong pursuit.
After the family moved to Sturgeon Falls in 1986, Justin continued training under his father’s guidance. His early education covered several branches of Korean martial arts, including traditional Chang Hon Tae Kwon Do, World Tae Kwon Do poomsae, the Taegeuk and Palgwe series, and Tang Soo Do. At twelve years old he completed his First Degree Black Belt examination under adult testing standards.
Growing up largely homeschooled gave Justin plenty of opportunity to pursue martial arts and physical training. Being the son of an instructor also exposed him from an early age to practitioners of various ranks, systems and backgrounds, with opportunities to cross-train, exchange knowledge and experience different approaches. Korean martial arts under his father’s guidance remained the foundation of his practice, but Justin also explored Korean, Chinese and Japanese martial traditions, along with aspects of European martial arts and weaponry. His wider training included archery, horseback riding, bushcraft and stealth skills, as well as yoga and physical conditioning.
In 2000, at the age of eighteen, Justin took responsibility for Powell’s Martial Arts Academy, continuing the school established by his family. Under his direction the academy has continued the Powell family’s martial arts tradition while evolving through decades of teaching, research and practical experience.
His cross-training continued throughout his adult life as he met martial artists from a variety of backgrounds, exchanging techniques, forms, training methods and ideas while continuing his own independent study. These experiences included training and exchanging Tae Kwon Do and Tae Kyon knowledge with martial artist and acupuncturist Heon Soo Kim. Justin also had the unusual opportunity to practise Yang-style Tai Chi with an elderly practitioner who had spent many years practising the art in mainland China.
Justin later expanded Powell’s Martial Arts Academy into North Bay, appeared on the Mike Monaghan Morning Radio Show, taught public seminars and self-defence workshops, and assisted Sifu Dennis Pounnal with the television program Secrets of Martial Arts. He was also recognized in Dr. Ted Gambordella’s 600 Sensational Martial Arts Masters.
Justin represented Team Canada twice in WKC competition, in the Men’s −85 kg Continuous Sparring division. He earned a silver medal at the 2023 WKC World Championships and a gold medal at the 2025 WKC World Championships. His competitive experience became one part of a much broader martial journey, with his focus increasingly turning toward traditional practice, practical application and the deeper purpose behind martial training.
In 2019 Justin was promoted to 9th Dan and became President of the Central Canada Martial Arts Association, continuing the organization established by his family. He is also a founding member and President of the Central Canada Tae Kwon-Do Association, and he continues to serve as Head Instructor of Powell’s Martial Arts Academy.
After more than four decades in martial arts, Justin’s approach has increasingly centred on Mudo, the martial way. For him, martial arts extend beyond rank, competition and outward performance. Training becomes a means of understanding one’s own capabilities, developing discipline and character, and ultimately recognizing that the greatest opponent to overcome is oneself.
Meet the black belts of the Central Canada Martial Arts Association. Each member has their own photo gallery.
Founder. 9th Dan, Traditional Tae Kwon Do and Powell’s Personal Combat System
President and Head Instructor. 9th Dan
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