Former MMA fighter Eugene Jackson gives back to East Palo Alto, the community that forged him from childhood onward, by welcoming all ages into his Rogue Empire gym, so named in homage to local slang, as he explains in this video.
Highlights include:
:37 Eugene’s childhood in East Palo Alto, working through trauma to become an MMA competitor
4:40 How his early MMA experiences shaped his development as a person
5:20 Stories from his MMA fighting days
6:30 The meaning of “Rogue Empire”–rooted in East Palo Alto
9:06 Eugene’s impact on youth, tied to his time in the community
11:56 Fitness as a source of strength in developing confidence and identity in youth and how that translates outside the gym.
