I distinctly remember the very first time I bumped into Johnny Lizard – as he quickly slithered towards me across the square ring. Prior to that volatile moment me and Johnny both had something in common; we were both East Ender’s. He from Plaistow and me from Silvertown, there was marginally a mile of distance between us. Also, we both shared the same secondary education at the prestigious South West Ham Technical School. This was an East London all boys school. Although I found some of the subjects we were taught almost incomprehensible, I did rather excel in sport. Boxing and swimming were my favourites. In my age group and weight I got through to the West Ham Schoolboy Boxing Championships in my very first year. This was after successfully beating a boy I had always been very wary of, prior to giving him a very bloody nose in our own school boxing championships.

The year after this I was put into fighting our years heavyweight champion and although I lost I did, albeit outweighed, give a good account of myself

Now the year after this our boxing instructor, a teacher called Mr Scanlon, was having a bit of difficulty fitting me up with an opponent, because nobody my weight wanted to fight me.  In the end Scanlon said that David Harris had agreed to be matched up with me.  I just could not believe my luck!  I would run rings around Harris; in fact I thought I would put on quite a show of it.  When I tackled Harris about how he agreed to be my opponent he was full of bravado and said that he thought he could beat me.  Well, what a liberty!  Harris had always been frightened of me.  He said that he had been doing a lot of boxing training at Stratford and I would see just how good he was on the night. Well, that night could not come quick enough for me.

Knowing that this was to be an exhibition match for me I invited all the family to come and watch. I was just slightly concerned about Harris’s claim to have trained up for this confrontation, as quite a few times during class lessons he had made remarks about how long I would last on the night. Nevertheless, I would slaughter him! On the night, there was I all togged up in my all black gear with proper boxing shoes looking just as if I’d stepped out of a boxing flysheet. I was getting a bit concerned, as Harris had not turned up and Scanlon had told me to ‘warm up a bit.’ What for I thought? Harris had clearly ‘bottled’ it. Suddenly, the fight prior to mine had finished and I went round to tell my family that Harris had failed to put in an appearance and I had a walkover. Scanlon beckoned me over and said, ‘You’re on next Dyson.’ I screwed up my face and replied that Harris had not turned up. ‘No,’ said Scanlon, ‘He never was going to in the first place – he was just helping me out. I’ve got you fixed in to fight a boy the next year up.’ What, the next year up? At that age a year’s gap was enormous and you were always mindful of the older, stronger boy’s superior abilities. ‘Who is it then?’ I whimpered. Johnny Lizard he responded as he walked towards the ring to announce our fight. I was devastated! It was all just a con to get me fighting. My mind was racing; I felt completely disorientated and disheartened that I was probably the only one unaware of the situation. Suddenly, I was sitting in my corner staring across at the older boy. He was glaring across at me…funny, his eyes were sort of, well, reptilian. Ding, ding, the bell went. At first, I was so deep in thought that it didn’t register, as Johnny Lizard quickly slithered towards me. I was still in my own corner when the two-handed flurry of blows peppered both sides of my head! I covered up, as best I could, and peeking through my gloves I’m sure I saw a thin forked tongue flicking in and out of smiling lips. I wasn’t hurt, but my pride was somewhere on the under soles of my boxing boots. Scanlon called a halt to the barrage of blows and I straightened up. Seeing I was alright, he shouted out, ‘carry on boxing!’ What! That was at least worth an eight count and a few seconds rest for me to gather my senses. I backed off, flicking out straight lefts, but the lizard was all over me in the other corner with another barrage of head punches. ‘That’s it.’ Said Scanlon, and stopped the contest. I felt humiliated. I wasn’t hurt physically, but just embarrassed and mentally at an all time low as I had clearly been outclassed. The next day everyone had a good laugh about it and how Scanlon’s plan had worked to perfection. Some of the lads who wanted to see a fight outside school said, ‘Are you going to get him outside?’ ‘No way’, I said, ‘I had enough of him inside the ring!’ ‘No!’ they said, ‘Not Johnny Lizard…Harris!’ There was no way I was going to get involved in something like that. I took the bait, hook, line and sinker and I sort of admired Harris for agreeing to get involved in the con in the first place. Years later I had ditched my boxing and had become a table tennis champion. In March 1967 a work colleague suggested I might like to pop along to his karate club. I declined, as I was County class at table tennis. He kept on with the request and I decided to give it a try. I absolutely loved it…for six weeks. At that point the black belt instructor said I had gained sufficient progress to have my first karate fight. He put me up against an orange belt. Within seconds my feet had been swept from under me and I had been punched in the side of the face with bare knuckles as I crashed to the floor. Now that did hurt! I just lay there, almost feigning a knockout – at least it would be over then! My mind rushed back to the last time I was in this humiliating situation, with Johnny Lizard all those years ago at South West Ham Tech. Out of half closed eyes I gave the orange belt the once over; it was OK, feet were not scaly, eye’s were not reptilian, no slithering or forked tongue! Phew, that was a relief – can’t have lightning striking twice in the same place. I did not return to the club for about one month. It bugged me, if I didn’t go back and get that guy I would end up a coward for the rest of my life! I immediately ditched all my table tennis and sunk myself into full time karate training. In no time at all I easily overcame the orange belt and a year later I had outgrown the club and trained in London with the Japanese instructors. I had taken many ‘good hidings’ and in 1972 I attained the coveted karate black belt. I went on to become instructor at two large karate clubs and won many trophies in National karate competitions in the sport that occupied me for nearly 30 years. In some ways I can thank Johnny Lizard in helping me achieve my goal, because that bit of ‘déjà vu’ with the orange belt certainly got me motivated to achieve the sporting success I wanted. Also, I think that both me and Johnny can be grateful for the high standards of our education, and discipline, during our time spent at South West Ham Tech, because as reluctant as we were to be educated they did not do too bad a job on us because I do know that we have both achieved the successes beyond what we ever dreamed of, all those years ago in our young East London lives.