DIT DA JOW and other liniments. What NEED to know

Jow or Dit Da Jow.... translated - fall hit wine, comes in many formulas and methods of production and is made and sold by numerous businesses and private individuals. I'm going to attempt to give you and overview of some of the types and what they are prescribed for, to include other liniments, ointments and plasters.

From Wikepidia:  Dit Da Jow is a popular Chinese liniment sold to heal external damage such as bruises or sore muscles. There are several different recipes for Dit Da Jow, most of which are considered to be a "secret formula" passed down through oral and written history of Traditional Chinese Medicine, martial arts, and modern Western science. Although Chinese tradition traces the origins of Chinese medicine to demigods named the Divine Plowman (Sheng Nung) and theYellow Emperor (Huang Ti), who are said to have lived in the early 3rd millennium B.C., the earliest available historical records of Chinese medicine are medical texts dating from the Han Dynasty via several Chinese materia medica.

Dit Da Jow is an analgesic liniment traditionally preferred by martial artists. Often a martial arts master blended his unique mixture of many aromatic herbs such as myrrh and ginseng, which were combined to stimulate circulation, reduce pain and swelling, and improve healing injuries and wounds.^[1] The tradition became known as "hit medicine."  Many people have also found this sort of liquid analgesic to be useful for reducing aching muscles, arthritis and rheumatism discomfort.

All bruise liniment formulas contain ingredients to stop pain, reduce swelling and inflammation and disperse stagnant qi and blood. It is composed of cooling herbs to reduce swelling and inflammation as effectively as ice; and warming herbs that kill pain, promote circulation, and break up accumulations of stagnant blood and fluids.

Herbs in the formulas according to TCM use "temperature" and "action," with each herb exhibiting an "energy" that has an effect on the body. Some are cold while others are hot. The overall combination of herbs in a Dit Da Jow formula determines its relative energy. Warmer jow is more often used in conditioning or chronic injury while cooler jow is more likely to be used for new injuries that may be inflamed. The action of each herb has specific uses. A Dit Da Jow should have one or two primary actions, determined by the herbs which are used in the Dit Da Jow formula.^[2]

Most bruises are usually shrugged off by athletes and martial artists as minor injuries that will heal themselves. Over the centuries, kung fu practitioners noticed that large bruises or repeated bruising on one area sometimes created accumulations of stagnant qi and blood that could cause serious health problems years later. Trauma liniment was developed to disperse these accumulations and treat sports injuries, thereby prolonging the soldier/warrior/athlete's career and health.

Today Dit Da Jow can be bought online and through martial arts catalogs or it can be directly obtained from a Chinese apothecary or master. Dit Da Jow is primarily used by martial artists to aid the healing of Iron palm training.

If you purchase Dit Da Jow already made, it is best that you purchase it bottled in glass and not plastic. Authentic Dit Da Jow that contains herbs like camphor, frankincense and myrrh, combined with alcohol can leak the chemicals from the plastic bottle and contaminate the liniment. Making it totally useless or dangerous.^[3]

When you purchase the herbs to make your own Dit Da Jow a glass jar and an alcohol medium like vodka or gin is used. Centuries ago Dit Da Jow was made by combining the herbs in a clay vessel and adding rice wine, then burying the vessel in the ground for months or even years, the longer the herbs sat in the alcohol the stronger the Dit Da Jow became.

Also worth mentioning is, Wood Lock Oil, which can be used similarly to Jow's. Some people I know of personally prefer Wood Lock Oil to Jow due to the drying effect of the alcohol (in Jow) on the skin.

Woodlock Oil is a topical analgesic used to treat mild to moderate muscle pains and aches. It is widely used in China, its country of origin, and is sold in many other countries. Considered an herbal remedy, this product is a mixture of essential oils, including menthol, which can be easily discerned by Woodlock Oil's pungent aroma. It also contains methyl salicylate and cinnamon extract, as well as other proprietary herbal ingredients. It commonly is used to treat sore muscles and joints, to relieve back pain and to ease arthritis.

Woodlock Oil can be applied topically in many ways. The traditional method in China is to use a method consisting of locating the origin of the pain and applying Woodlock Oil. The spot is then subjected to pressure, usually by hand, for at least fifteen minutes. This method is said to combine the effects of the Woodlock Oil while promoting a proper balance of chi within the body. As with many herbal remedies, the oil and its application methods have been held under close scrutiny by the science-based medical community. Woodlock Oil is known to consist of 50% methyl salicylate. This ingredient has been the subject of recalls and has been blamed for deaths. Methyl salicylate is closely related to the main ingredient in aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid.

Here is a great and extensive document list that will aid in the use and purchase of many herbs, liniments etc!
Compliments of ,

David Bock C.Ac. Dipl.Ac. Dipl.CH.

Herbal Liniment Product Guide

This is a follow up product guide to the article “A Guide To Chinese Martial Arts Herbal Trauma Formulas.“ Please consult that article for more specific information on herbal product dynamics and proper product use.

Product Name Use

ABC Plaster O Hot

Anti-Rheumatic Plaster (Tientsin Drug) R Aromatic

Axe brand oil O Warm

Bao Zhen Gao/ Shang Yao Plasters O Warm

Chili Plasters O Hot

Ching Wan Hung (Great Wall) A

Best burn cream, heals tissue, can be

applied to open wounds to reduce

scarring, heals bleeding hemorrhoids.

Compound Prescribed Watermelon Frost

(Guilin) A

For non-healing or infected open

wounds with redness and swelling

Die Da Wan Hua (Jingxiutang Pharm.) T Good on burns

Die-Da Analgesic Essence (China National) T

Dr. Bob’s Medicated oil (Blue Poppy) O Warm to neutral

Dr. Shir’s Liniment (Spring Wind brand) J

Dragon Fire Liniment (Oriental Herb Co.) O Hot

Dragon’s Blood Liniment (Blue Poppy) T

For swelling and pain when there is no

redness or heat

E Mei Shan Plasters O Warm

Eagle oil M Strong pain reliever

Eighteen Budda Tit Da plaster T

Essential Balm M

Fastt Patch (Wei Labs) T

Long term use plaster for healing

injuries

Felursa Plaster For Bruise (Zhanjiang) T

Feng Liu Sing Tincture T Warm

Flower oil (Shanghai medicines) O Warm to neutral

Golden sunshine patches/spray cgream M Cool

Green Willow liniment (Blue Poppy) O Hot

Hua To’s Eight Immortal’s Iron Palm

(Oriental Herb Co.) T Designed for training as well as injury

Hua To’s Eight Immortals Dit Da Jow

(Oriental herb Co.) T For post trauma healing

Hua Tuo Plasters (Kwang Chow United) O Warm

Huo Tuo Plasters (Jingxiutang Pharm.) O Warm

Imperial Pheonix (Oriental Herb Co.) T Training formula, hot

Iron Fist Liniment (Oriental Herb Co.) T Designed for training as well as injury

Iron Hand Liniment (East Earth) T Designed for training as well as injury

Jade Goddess (Oriental Herb Co.) T Training formula, tissue repair, cooling

Joseph’s Si Chi Pain relieving oil M

King Care Arthritis Pain Formula O Warm

King Care Original Formula M

King Care Sports Pain Formula M

Kou Pi Analgesic Plasters (Tientsin Drug) O Warm

Kou Pi Analgesic Plasters (Beijing Tung Jen

Tang) O Warm

Kupico Plaster (Great Wall Brand) R Aromatic

Kwan Loong O

Warm to neutral, also indicated for

itching

Mao She Xiang San Xiong Dan Rheumatic

oil (Kwangchow) O Warm

Mopiko M

Indicated for pain as well as itch from

insect bites and eczema

Musk Anti-Contusion Plasters (Tianjin Drug) R Aromatic

Musk plaster (Jingxiutang Pharm) R Aromatic

Musk Rheumatic oil (Guangdong Medicines) R,O Aromatic and warm

Musk Rheumatism-Expelling Plasters (Guilin

Fourth Pharm.) R Aromatic

Ni Tian/Yee Tin Tong Oil J

Notoginseng Herbal Analgesic Liniment M Camphor free

Notoginseng Herbal Analgesic Liniment

(Guangxi Med.) O Warm to Neutral

Po Sum On O

Warm to neutral, good massage oil for

sore muscles

Porous Capsicum Plaster O Hot

Red Dragon Balm O Warm

Salonpas Plasters O Warm to neutral, focused on pain

san qi powder B

Shang Shi Bao Zhen Medicated Plaster

(Shanghai Med. Works) R Aromatic and warm

Shaolin Dee Dat Jow (Blue Poppy) T

For acute injury with redness and

swelling

Sprain Ointment (Blue Poppy) J

Spring Wind Herbal Muscle and Joint rub

(Spring Wind) J

Stop Pain (Blue Poppy) M

Three Angels Liniment (Blue Poppy) G Cool

Tie Bi (Oriental Herb Co.) T Training formula, cooling

Tieh Ta Yao Gin (Chu Kiang Brand T Great on severe bruises

Tieh Ta Yao Gin (United Pharm.) T

Tieh ta yao jiu (Five Photos brand) A,T Great on “Gi burn” and abrasions

tien chi powder B

Tiger Balm Red O,M Warm

Tiger balm white M

Tokhuon Plasters O Warm

Wan Hua Oil (United Pharm) T,A

Good for hard swellings, burns,

necrotic wounds

White Dragon Balm M

White Flower oil M Cool

White Tiger Liniment (Oriental Herb Co.) G Cool

Whitee Patch (Wei Labs) O Warm

Wood lock oil M

Wu yang Plaster for bruise T Better than ice on acute injuries

Xi Shang Le Ding (Pham. Factory of TCM) J

Xin Fang Shang Shi Bao Zhen Gao Plasters

(Shanghai Med. Works) O Warm

Yang Cheng Medicated Herbal Plaster T Similar to Wu Yang brand

Yun Xiang Jin O Warm

Yun Xiang Jing liniment (Yulin) O Hot

Yunnan Baiyao liniment M

Yunnan Baiyao Plasters M

Yunnan pai (bai) yao powder, B,A THE stop bleeding formula.

Zheng Gu Shui (Yulin Drug) J,R Great on any joint pain, aromatic

Zhitong Gao/ Shang Yao Plasters O Warm

T= Tissue damage from trauma, strains, tears, contusions, and bruises

Classic Die da formulas (Dit Dat Jow) are generally based on the ancient formulas Qi

Li San, or Die Da wan. They tend to be very good at tissue repair and healing burns, stopping

bleeding, reducing pain and swelling as well as long term wound care. Some can be applied

to an open wound. They vary in “temperature”, some hot, some cold, and some neutral. Cool

formulas are better in acute trauma where there is redness and swelling. Hot formulas are

better when there is no redness or swelling. Many of the secret iron fist skin toughening

formulas are variations of Die Da formulas. Note that some are meant for immediate

treatment after an injury and others are specific for long-term recovery use, or for skin

toughening (Training).

B= Bleeding, external and internal, severe bruising

Stop bleeding powders can be packed into deep cuts. It can also be taken internally for

possible internal bleeding (seek medical attention). Internally it is useful to control heavy

menstrual bleeding. The red pill that is often packaged with the formula is to be used when

there is severe trauma with the possibility of the patient going into shock. (Again, seek

medical attention)

J= Joint strain or sprain

These are variations of Die da formulas and are specific for “white” tissue, connective

tissue with low blood flow, bones, ligaments and tendons. These formulas are great on any

joint pain, including carpel tunnel, overuse soreness and tennis elbow. Apply to feet before

standing for hours; it really helps.

M= Over-worked exhausted muscles, general after workout soreness and pain

These are common muscle rubs and tend to be oil based with a lot of menthol and

camphor. Good for general pain relief.

O= Old (cold) injury aches and pains

No redness or swelling. Heat applied to the area feels good. This is especially true of

old injuries that have been over iced, or controlled through over the counter painkillers. These

are formulas with warm and hot herbs.

R= Re-injured joints or other tissue

No redness to tissue, possible water or swelling around the joint, dull achy pain. Most

of these are musk-based formulas; other camphor/menthol-based formulas can also do well in

these situations.

G= Red painful muscles and joints due to chronic injury, rheumatoid arthritis, gout

Tissue is red and “burning painful” and/or warm and tender to the touch.

A= Abrasions, cuts, “Gi burn” and open wounds

These formulas are specifically made to use on broken tissue, and are specific in their

ability to heal tissue and stop bleeding. They are good on open cracked skin, cuts and

abrasions, as well as burns.

There are countless formulations available as well as secret formulas. These were the

products that I was able to get at least an ingredient list for. There are many good herbal

formulas for which I could not find any information. I tried to group formulas as best I could,

based on the information I have. I have used some of these formulas (not all) on myself and

on patients. Comments about the effectiveness of a particular formula are based on my

personal experience. There are many products listed that I believe are also very good. I just

haven’t had opportunity to use them.

David Bock C.Ac. Dipl.Ac. Dipl.CH.

Wisconsin Certified Acupuncturist, NCCAOM National Board Certified in Acupuncture and

Chinese Herbology, author of the online column “The Practical Herbalist” at

www.lakecountryonline.com. He is also a Nidan Wadokai Aikido instructor and has trained

in various martial arts since 1986. He can be reached at www.hartlandorientalmed.com