Die Da Yao

Die Da Yao ( diē dǎ yào 跌打药)  is the Mandarin name for a liniment that heals bruises and other injuries where trauma is the main culprit. In the West it is called Dit Da Jow and while used initially by martial artists its use has spread to everybody who wants to heal trauma type injuries. The translation in English means “fall hit liniment” essentially saying if you fall or stumble and get bruised, that this liniment is used.

Chinese Herbs

The structure of Die Da Yao is entirely Chinese herb based and using the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with various formulas dating back to the Shaolin Monastery over a thousand years ago. The main principle of Die Da Yao is to relieve blood stagnation and blood stasis which results in a hematoma generally from a trauma type injury or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The combination of herbs work in a synergistic manner to heal broken or ruptured blood vessels allowing blood and Qi to flow freely and speeding up the healing process while relieving associated pain and discomfort. Die Da Yao can also help strengthen weak blood vessels that rupture easily, if you bruise easy then you fall in this category.

Preparation

The proper way to prepare Die Da Yao is to use a GLASS jar with an airtight lid and alcohol preferably Vodka or Gin. The Die Da Yao herbal kit is added into the glass jar and then the alcohol is poured over the top saturating the herbs, once this is done the lid is sealed tight and the jar is shaken continuously for a couple of minutes this is called “Agitation”. This is the most important part of the production process. Agitation of the herbs in alcohol releases the alkaloidal constituents and molecular compounds from the herbs into the alcohol creating the powerful healing properties of Die Da Yao.

The first 21 to 28 days are the most critical time for the extraction process and agitation is recommended two times per day for 90 to 120 seconds each time, only moderate shaking is required. There are advanced preparation methods one can use that we have posted here on the website. After 21 to 28 days you can start using the Die Da Yao. It is best to have a small glass jar available and pour a little liniment from the big jar into the smaller jar for your use.

 

Application

Die Da Yao is to be applied liberally and often on an injury or sore muscles, once applied it best let it air dry. Application can be with your hands, a cotton ball or a glass bottle roll on applicator. The area that which the Die Da Yao is applied should be saturated to the point where it is wet with minimum dripping. In some cases  where there is a serious injury a compress can be used, we have a page on that here.

Differences In Die Da Yao

As mentioned above Die Da Yao is used for bruises and trauma type injuries like sprains. It also is excellent for sore muscles associated from working out. Some Die Da Yao  that is sold online is not bruises but  for tendon and bone injuries, this is classified more in the Tiezhang formula family( Iron Palm). These formulas were designed to heal injuries to bones and tendons with very little support for healing bruises, contusions and sprains. So it is important to make sure you are purchasing the proper liniment for your needs.

Some formulas sold online offer the healing properties of Die Da Yao AND Iron Palm in one formula, if you are looking for an all in one formula then this is what you should purchase, one such formula is Yangshang Tieda Yao.

These combination formulas can be helpful if you suffer from chronic pain or if an injury involves both swelling and tendon injuries. Bone bruises can also benefit from both Die Da Yao or a combination formula like Yangshang Tieda Yao or Tie Ba Zhang Jow.

Ready Made Die Da Yao

Preparing your own Die Da Yao is the preferred way to go but if you cannot then some online sites sell a ready made Die Da Yao. Careful reading on what you are purchasing is very important, first has it been aged? Since most online liniment sold is weaker than if you prepare your own it is best to make sure it is at least several years old. Second, make sure  that Vodka, Gin, or diluted grain alcohol is used, AVOID Isopropyl Alcohol at all costs. An alcohol percentage of 35 to 60 percent is fine, any higher percentage will evaporate to fast and offer no results. We have a page here on types of alcohol to use if you are interested in reading more about this.

A liniment that appears light in color should be avoided, you should not be able to see thru the bottle. The darker the liniment the more likely the liniment was extracted properly and has been aged properly, this is not 100 percent certain but a good guide to use. Light colored  generally means the liniment is weak or lacking the proper herbs to heal an injury. It is also advisable to purchase a ready made liniment that has some herbal sediment in the bottle.

The most important factor besides the type of alcohol used in purchasing ready made Die Da Yao is to make sure it is packaged in a GLASS BOTTLE! Avoid plastic bottles at all costs as an authentic Die Da Yao will leach out chemicals like BPA from the plastic into your liniment causing contamination.

Conclusion

So regardless if you are a martial artist, active athlete, weekend warrior or non of the above, you can benefit from the healing powers of Die Da Yao.  apply liberally and often and you will be amazed on how well it works.