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. |
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. |
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 college full time and is working toward a degree in Computer Science with emphasis on Cyber Security. |
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. |