Martial-arts instructor to try and break push-ups record By Todd Welvaert, staff writer
Photo: Jenny Butler
The Guiness Book of Records is a collection for disbelievers, people who see walls on those pages, as hard and fast as stone. Yet the tome is written in bits and pieces every day, by those who believe those limitations are as absolute and steadfast as the paper they are written on. At an age when many men would find doing 100 push-ups tough to do in 24 hours, 52-year-old John Morrow is going to take a shot at breaking a world record at doing more than 133 push-ups in 60 seconds. Limitations, he will tell you, are as real as you decide to make them. ''People don't seem to realize what they can do,'' Mr. Morrow said. ''I see it every day; I see people surprise themselves every day, doing things they never thought they could do.'' A lot of that happens in the Morrow Martial Arts Academy, Moline. Mr. Morrow's been instructing people in the martial arts for 25 years, and has studied various martial arts for 35 years. ''I think I was 14 years old, I saw a demonstration of Judo and knew right then it was something I wanted to do,'' Mr. Morrow said. He went on to study Akido and Kung Fu and now is proficient in and teaches several different martial-art disciplines. He discovered the push-up record while in a waiting room reading a ''Muscle & Fitness'' magazine. ''I got pretty excited when I saw it,'' Mr. Morrow said. ''That night I went home, looked at the clock and did 135 push ups, looked at the clock again and it read 64 seconds. I woke up the next morning and wondered if the night before was a fluke, so I got down and did 135 again and the clock said 63 seconds.'' His training has included doing 135 push-ups as fast as he can twice a day in addition to his regular workouts and teaching class. Over the years, he figures he has done more than 700,000 push ups as part of his training. ''I feel pretty confident,'' Mr. Morrow said. ''The difficulty is going to be doing it the way the Guiness people want me to do it. You have to go down to a point where your arms are bent at 90 degrees. I'm not too worried about getting below that, but when you go up, your arms can be straight, but you can't lock your elbows.'' The Guiness Book of World Records sent Mr. Morrow a nine-page packet explaining the requirements and what it takes to make the book. He'll have to videotape the attempt from the front and the side for verification. The attempt will take place on the last day of a self-imposed, annual 41-day fast, a time when he consumes only fruit juices, water and a soy-protein drink six days a week, and just water on Sundays. ''I don't like talking about my fasting much, and this wasn't really planned, it just kind of worked out that way,'' Mr. Morrow said. ''It was something I started years and years ago, first only fasting for a couple of days and building it up every year. Discipline and spirit is where strength comes from. ``It's a statement about addictions. Addictions are all about short-term gratification for long-term damage. Fasting is a discipline. It trains the mind to accept short-term discomfort for long-term reward.'' Mr. Morrow said he sees a world consumed with desire for instant gratification. He starts his annual fast by reading about Jesus' fast of 40 days in the desert and the devil's temptation. ''This really isn't about me,'' he said. ``I want to show people what they can do. People don't seem to realize what they can do. The capability is in each of us. A lot of things can't be accomplished in one day. It takes persistence and tenacity to reach goals. One of the most gratifying things I do as an instructor is watch people change their own lives.'' The Guiness Book of Records is a collection for disbelievers, written every day by people like Mr. Morrow, who see limitations and believe they are as real as you decide to make them. Just ask. Trying to break the record John Morrow will try to break a Guiness World Record for number of pushups in one minute after 1 p.m. Saturday, during an open house from noon to 3 p.m. at Morrow Martial Arts Academy, 1321 5th Ave., Moline. There also will be martial arts demonstrations, a demonstration by Philippine stick fighter Remy Presas, a live remote from Q106 morning team Dwyer and Michaels, food, equipment giveaways and reduced-rate lessons. About the record: According to Guiness World Record, the current record for the most push ups in one minute is 133, set by American physical therapist Jack Zatorski at the Accelerated Rehabilitation Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla, on March 1, 2003. To beat the record, Mr. Morrow will have to do about two and a half push ups a second for 60 seconds. Staff writer Todd Welvaert can be reached at (309) 786-6441, Ext. 249, or by e-mail attwelvaert@qconline.com
