NEW JERSEY \u2014 It takes strength to end bullying. That\u2019s the message that John Mirrione of New Jersey was trying to get across when he set out to break some world records on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Mirrione, a Westfield resident and former U.S. Congress candidate in Essex, Hudson and Union counties, is no stranger to adversity. Read More: <\/strong>NJ Karate Guru Beats COVID, Runs For Congress As Libertarian<\/strong><\/p>\n The martial artist, Air Force veteran and national anti-bullying advocate has taken on world records before. In 2020, he nailed down 76 jump squats in a minute, setting a new milestone. In the past, he\u2019s set other records for performing one arm\/one leg push-ups and holding a bare knuckle position on a stone block.<\/p>\n This week, Mirrione reported that he managed to set 11 additional world records for doing one-arm bare-knuckle push-ups on concrete (watch the video below, or view it online here).<\/p>\n His feats of strength \u2013 which were witnessed by the Record Holders Republic \u2013 included:<\/p>\n World Records Set<\/strong><\/p>\n World Records Surpassed<\/strong><\/p>\n Mirrione said that his latest feats were inspired by his ongoing battle against bullying.<\/p>\n After his military service ended, Mirrione began teaching karate in 1994, ultimately opening his own studio in New York City: Harmony By Karate. During that time, \u201cSensei Mirrione\u201d found a new calling: trying to change the hearts of bullies.<\/p>\n Drawing on his own past of being picked on while growing up in Brooklyn and Long Island, Mirrione helped to launch the first mandated anti-bullying program in a major U.S. city (Elizabeth), an initiative that reached thousands of students.<\/p>\n Mirrione said that his latest records were personal milestones \u2013 but also metaphors.<\/p>\n Performing bare-knuckle push-ups on concrete \u2013 a surface as unyielding as the challenges faced by bullied children \u2013 sends a clear message to kids, he said: \u201cResilience is born through adversity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese records were about showing children that no matter how difficult life may seem, there is strength inside of them waiting to be discovered,\u201d Mirrione told Patch. \u201cI want this to be a beacon of hope for kids who feel alone, unheard or afraid.\u201d<\/p>\nFind out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.<\/h2>\n
Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.<\/h2>\n
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