Heather Barron-Galvan remembers her father as a man who put his heart into everything he did.

That dedication showed in many aspects of Charlie Barron’s life, but it was most evident with one of his greatest passions — karate. Barron taught the martial art in Yankton for 14 years before passing away last December.

“He always trained hard and put everything into karate,” Barron-Galvan said. “It was really a big part of his life. He was a really good teacher. People respected him and how he was with people.”

Barron-Galvan recently learned those with the International Karate Convention held in Lincoln, Neb., which Barron attended each year, felt the same way. During the convention last month, organizers gave out the inaugural Charlie Barron Memorial Spirit Award in recognition of Barron’s 25 years of dedication to karate. Barron-Galvan was chosen as the first recipient.

“It’s been hard on us, so it’s really cool that they’re recognizing him, because that was a big part of his life,” Barron-Galvan said. “And for me to get it, it really means a lot.”

Barron, who worked for the Yankton School District as a school psychologist/behavior specialist for 26 years, moved to Yankton with his family in 1991. A few years later, he decided to share his love for karate with others and opened his own dojo, the Yankton Karate Club.

“He dedicated a lot of his life to making his dojo respectable,” his daughter said. “He did a really good job of teaching and running things. He put a lot of himself into the dojo and dedicated a lot of hours to it.”
Barron-Galvan, who began training with her father at age 11, said what stood out most about his work at the dojo was the fact that he would teach all types of students.

“He took in whoever was willing to train, no matter what their ability,” she said. “He was also willing to work with students with physical disabilities and cognitive disabilities. He modified it and made it so they could learn and could feel successful.”

Thirteen-year-old Mason Ballard, who was a student of Barron’s for six years, said he wouldn’t have the skills he has today without the help of the late teacher. Ballard, a brown belt with three white stripes, also attended the karate convention last month and received the Men’s Spirit Award.

“He was a good teacher, and he always made it really fun to do,” Ballard said. “He was a really good trainer who focused on the important stuff.”

Since Barron’s passing, the Yankton Karate Club has been closed, as no one from the dojo possesses the necessary level to certify those who are training. With hopes of reopening the facility, Barron-Galvan and fellow students Pete Moore and Shawn Mann have been traveling to Norfolk, Neb., to continue training.

“We’re trying to get in a position where we can run the dojo. To test anybody above a white belt, we need to be a third degree black belt, and the three of us are only first degree black belts,” Barron-Galvan said. “So we suspended the dojo for now, and then we’re hoping to reopen it when we are ready to take on some more students.”

The three have also been helping Ballard with his training and have provided the young student with transportation to Norfolk.

Virginia Ballard, Mason’s mother, said she has been amazed by the way Barron-Galvan, Moore and Mann have stepped up to aid her son.

“It’s just really awesome that these people have helped Mason and mentored him along, because he’s loved it since he was 6 years old,” she said.

Barron-Galvan said her efforts toward reopening the dojo, as well as helping Mason with his training, are simply things she “needs to do.”

“I know that’s what Dad would have wanted,” she said.