Evan Robinson

ROCK BOTTOM

Twenty-five years ago

Evan Robinson was convicted of robbery and sentenced to decades in prison. Today he's a business owner, a certified personal trainer, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt who has dedicated his life to helping others find their own strength.

THE LETTERS

A friend on the outside

Before his incarceration, Evan had been introduced to jiu-jitsu alongside his best friend Joe Van Brackle. While Evan served fifteen years, Joe kept training, earned his black belt, and wrote about the techniques and the philosophy that were shaping his life.

THE CELL

Practice without a gym

Prison offered countless ways to make bad choices. Evan chose to study martial arts philosophy, practice movements in his cell, and focus on being better than he was the day before — the same incremental approach he now teaches.

2013

Building something better

Released in 2013, he became a certified personal trainer, opened his own gym, and pursued jiu-jitsu under 4th-degree black belt Rich Latta at Renzo Gracie Pennsylvania Academy. The achievement isn't the belt or the business — it's the life built on discipline.

2017

Honoring Joe

When Joe passed away, Evan channeled his grief into the Robinson & Van Brackle Jiu-Jitsu Scholarship Fund, a 501(c)(3) putting at-risk youth on the mats who would otherwise never get the chance.