Grand Master
 Michael J. Bainton PH.D
10th Degree Black Belt
OWNER and FOUNDER OF BAKIDO

​Dr. Michael J. Bainton PH. D or Sensei, as he is known to all of us here, began his martial arts training under his father at his Judo Club on June 1, 1956. After training with him for a number of years, he went on to Hapkido in 1962 and earned his first Black Belt in 1978. His career path in law enforcement took him all over the western hemisphere. He started out as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police and became Chief of Police for Yellowknife West Territories and Stoney Plain Alberta. He then went on to train police officers and career security officers at the Canadian Security and Police Academy. Becoming a 1st Class Constable for the Calgary City police, he conducted training classes for recruits in drills, self defense and physical training. While there, he trained  police canines which took him south of the U.S. border where he trained the Nuevo Leon S.W.A.T. team in self defense and the use of  Utility Canines. After which, he went to private security at Pennzoil, where he was in charge of over a hundred security officers. He then made his way to protecting  Governor Shivers and his family in the 1980's. During which he started training in Kung Jung Mu Sool, where he earned his second  Black Belt. In 1992, he decided to open up South Austin Karate with the notion of training children after school and teach them Kung Jung Mu Sool.  After a few years of the school being open and being inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 1995, he then decided to teach his own art called BaKiDo, which means Bainton's Energy Way. 
Sensei 
Theron Hoover
2nd Degree Black Belt
Head Instructor

Sensei Hoover made his living in Retail Management prior to South Austin Karate and during his 20 plus years in retail, he acquired great knowledge in time management, prioritization and delegation, which he utilizes on and off the martial arts floor. His decision for coming here was an easy one, he simply wanted to fulfill his dream of working with children. And during his time here, he has worked through the ranks to become a 2nd Degree Black Belt and received Karate Instructor of the Year in August of 2015 by the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame from the U.S.A. Martial Arts Alliance. 

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Jacob Hoover
White-Black Belt
Instructor
Jacob Hoover started with South Austin Karate as a student in 2009, and now almost 10 years later has become a instructor in our after school and evening program.
Jacob attends collage full time and is working toward a degree in Computer Science with emphasis on Cyber Security. 
Deborah Hoover
Purple Belt
Director/Instructor

Mrs. Hoover has spent over 15 years in Retail Management where she sharpened her skills in customer service, employee management and organization. In 2012, she came to work here at South Austin Karate, instructing students and organizing the office to better suit our customers needs. With her wonderful skills in the office, she inevitably became the Director in May 2013. She has also spent time volunteering in her community for well over 15 years. Her experiences range from volunteer coaching at the recreation center to mentoring at the near by elementary schools, even the Texas PTA and sitting on the board of the Campus Advisory Council as Co-Chair, which she is still apart of to this day. 
Cliff Hill
Motor Skills Instructor
Motor Skills Instructor

Mr. Hill has over 10 years experience in knife and tomahawk throwing, competing, and instructing. He came to Austin in 2006 and taught at South Austin Karate for three and a half years. He is an active board member of The International Knife Throwers Hall Of Fame and a two time inductee. He also holds many first place wins throughout the years in national and world competitions. In 2009 he left to pursue a career in the sharpening service and now is the owner of Austin's Knife Sharpest in N Austin. In July of 2015 he returned to South Austin Karate to teach knife throwing and is very glad to be back working as an instructor.
Mr. Hill is also a certified motor skills instructor for the last 10 years.
Hollis Edwards
Blue Belt
Instructor

​Mr. Edwards has been with South Austin Karate for Almost a year,
Hollis enjoys working with the children in our after school program.
Hollis also enjoys performing and acting in his free time.
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Breanna Pérez
Yellow Belt
Instructor

Sensei Breanna Perez began studying martial arts at the age of 10 at Diaz Martial Arts, where she earned a Third Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. After which, Sensei Perez trained in Kickboxing and XMA for a period of time. Furthering her knowledge, Sensei Perez is currently pursuing a degree in ASL Interpretation and Audiology. She is, also, currently in pursuit of her Black Belt here at South Austin Karate in BaKiDo, while aiming to give the highest possible quality of  instruction to her students. To top it off, she is receiving high quality knife throwing instruction from our very own Master of Thrown Weapons, Mr. Hill.