Martial artist finds peace through push-upsBy John Marx, jmarx@qconline.com
Photo: Todd Mizener
Quad-Cities martial arts instructor John Morrow says it's OK to push the body and test one's limits. The 53-year-old man places his hands on the elevated metal rails, flattens the back of his compact, muscular frame and begins pushing his body up and down. "One," "two," "three," he says with an even tone. Seconds later he is at 80, his voice clear, crisp, with no signs of slowing or being winded. He reaches 100 with ease and pushes the pace as he nears 120. When the push-ups stop at 140, he races to an area where he lays flat on the ground and does 10 pull-ups off a raised metal bar. The sixth-degree martial-arts master finishes his mini workout with another 25 push-ups. As he rises to his feet, he smiles, nabs the green index card he uses to chart his work and wipes the beads of sweat that have formed above his black -- with specks of gray -- mustache. There is an aura of tranquility, a sense of peace around him. John Morrow always seems to be at peace. What life brings, it brings. "I'll use the example of the person who gets riled up over someone making a mistake in traffic; there's no need to be on that kind of indulgent edge in life," said Mr. Morrow, a 28-year martial-arts instructor and owner of Morrow's Academy of Martial Arts in downtown Moline. "We, all God's children, need to relax, think before we react. Don't lose sight of forgiveness. It's rather peace-rendering. That's got to be our nature." In addition to his martial-arts prowess, Mr. Morrow has gained local fame and could find world acclaim through push-ups. Recently, in his third attempt, he bested the world's mark of 138 in one minute by knocking off 142. Good enough, he hopes, to make him the Guinness world-record holder. His May 2004 attempt was not accepted by Guinness because the long sleeves of his martial-arts uniform obscured his arms from the video camera filming the event. But there's more to the Ottumwa, Iowa, native than push-ups. He's a community leader -- chairman of a group to improve downtown Moline. He's involved in local service groups and competes in international martial-arts competitions. He teaches self-defense classes at a local university and once a year fasts for more than 30 days to cleanse his body of toxins. He can talk sports, the essentials of Zen, is deeply religious and says the mind, if people allow it to work without indulgent impulses, will do amazing things to guide the body. He's a husband, father and grandfather who talks with great pride and admiration about his family. What gets lost sometimes in all Mr. Morrow is and does, is his work. For 27 years, he's taught Quad-Citians martial arts. "Sometimes I forget about business," he said of maintaining his Moline academy. "I'm so into what fitness and martial arts can do for people, I lose sight of the fact I have to keep the lights on. But that stuff works itself out. I get enjoyment out of seeing the transformation of someone, how martial arts has helped them improve physically and spiritually." Mr. Morrow's approach to life, he says, has been molded by many things: his grasp of Scripture, the writings of those who deal with the mind, spirit and several life lessons. Yet not all is perfect in his world. Mr. Morrow struggles with our "must have" attitude toward life and those who don't appreciate what they have. "We have an amazing spirit within us," said Mr. Morrow, a Bettendorf resident. "We don't need to fulfill every desire, want or need. I can't stand the expression `to die for,' because there's nothing we have materially that is worth dying for. We are too indulgent. It's like the commercial telling us we need to get fit followed by the one for the huge cheeseburger. Indulgent, mixed messages." It's an inner peace, Mr. Morrow says he found through the years, that allows him to go weeks without food. "I want to be an example, to prove to people you can push your limits," Mr. Morrow said. "That a physical or mental challenge can be answered. When I fast, I learn you don't have to act on every desire, that you can become absorbed in thought, but very grounded and centered. After about 20 days, I want for nothing. It's a process that takes work, but you'd be surprised at how powerful the mind and spirit can be if you don't rely on indulgence and instant gratification." For now, there's more work to be done. Mr. Morrow is concentrating on his teaching and hopes to hear from Guinness within the next three months. "The push-ups thing is my way of proving to people their limits can be pushed," Mr. Morrow said. "It's nice if it happens, but I won't dwell on it." John Morrow Biobox: Who: Martial arts instructor John Morrow Age: 53 Born: Ottumwa, Iowa Claim to fame: Could be Guinness World Record holder for push-ups in one minute. Recently knocked off 142 in 60 seconds, eclipsing the world mark of 138. Out with the bad: Mr. Morrow fasts once a year for approximately 30 days to rid his body of all toxins and test his mind and spirit.
