Thank you for visiting.

My name is Evan Robinson and I am the founder of the Robinson & VanBrackle Jiu-Jitsu Scholarship Fund.

The RVJJSF was born on July 12, 2017 — the day my childhood friend, my brother, Joseph VanBrackle Jr. passed away. It is a way to honor Joe’s memory and the love and appreciation we both shared for jiu-jitsu.

The fund is our way to give back to the community and spread jiu-jitsu to youth in need. Jiu-jitsu teaches more than traditional self-defense. At the core of it are life lessons:

• Never giving up
• Problem solving
• If you want something, you have to work for it
• Being respectful, gracious, and humble

Because of those qualities, and what jiu-jitsu brought to our lives, I feel all children can benefit from being introduced to this martial art. The RVJJSF aims to help those youth who may otherwise never get that opportunity.

I’d like to thank my brother who is no longer here physically, Joe VanBrackle, for introducing me to this art in 1995. I’d like to thank my board of directors, Don Stone and Jeanette Rilling. And I’d like to thank you — friends, family, and anyone who has donated — for helping make this a dream come true for both Joe and me.

“We can change the world one kid at a time, and I truly believe jiu-jitsu is just one of the many ways this can happen.”

— Evan Robinson, President