Van Canna & Nev Kimbrell

[Art Rabesa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV38T_oBfCo
Van and Nev going at in at a New England tournament in the sixties. Two of the best Uechi Ryu fighters of that time. Since we all trained together, it was very difficult competing against each other. This happened often because we were the only ones left when the dust settled. Please remember ----all these Uechi Ryu fighters trained together. You can just imagine what that class looked like. You could feel the building shake at times. Tough going back then. -----Happy Trails ----Art

[Van Canna]

Yes, that was a fun friendly match.

Had that been a real fight, Nev would probably have knocked me out...

He was a boxing 'Golden Glove' champion and a ' nut cake'

He had a very beautiful wife who became a playboy Bunny out of the Boston playboy club.

One night as she was coming home from the club, as she went by a 'dive' bar on Columbus Ave, a tough area...some drunken patrons all poured out to harass his wife with lewd comments...she went home crying and told Nev about it.

Well, Nev, paid a visit to the bar a short time later...and took on the whole bunch by himself, knocking out six patrons, and dragging the worst offender out into the street by the curbside, then proceeding to smash his head into the curb.

He was lucky nobody was killed and no police were called as they were scared of revenge.

[Art Rabesa]

I was with Nev up on Washington Street one night. Lots of strange people around there. As we walked by a small group Nev simply knocked one guy out right on the street. I asked him why he did that and he said "because it's Tuesday". Nev was different.

[Van Canna]

Yup...

I guess those were the reasons why all the 'world champions' of other styles in the Boston area, wanted to come up to our dedicated sparring classes to try us out.

Fun days.

[Art Rabesa]

Yes--there was always someone coming in to test their ability. Many left quick -- those that could walk.