Charles (Charlie) Barron sensei has been studying and practicing karate for over twenty years.  He had been interested in martial arts for a number of years, but never had the opportunity to become a practitioner until October 1985 when a class was offered in Bloomfield, Nebraska.  At that time, he learned karate with his three kids.

After a move to Yankton, South Dakota with his family, sensei traveled to Norfolk to continue his training.  Norfolk is the home dojo for sensei's instructor, Tom Hoile.  While being tested for the rank of sandan by John Roseberry shihan in Lincoln, Nebraska at the Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan International convention, Charlie sensei realized that it was shihan's expectation that he needed to open a dojo in Yankton.  With rank comes responsibiity.

The first class of the Yankton Karate Club was held on October 7, 1997  at FIrst Fitness of Yankton.  Charlie sensei was the only student that night.  Since then, the Yankton Karate Club has grown to include many students.  From the beginning, many students have come and gone but some students remained and committed to their training in the art of self defense.

Charlie sensei holds the rank of godan in Goju-Ryu karate and continues to train both inside and outside of the dojo.

For several years, the Yankton Karate Club has offered weapons training as part of the Matayoshi kobudo organization.  Matayoshi kobudo was introduced to the Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan organization at the International Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan convention by Franco Sanguineti in 1996.  Charlie sensei has been training in that kobudo system since then and was recently promoted to nidan.

For Charlie sensei, the martial arts have become a way of life for him, filling in the gaps that would otherwise be vacant and void.