The 5 Myths of Dit Da Jow

Dit Da Jow is the enigmatic liniment used well over a thousand years for trauma type injuries associated with martial arts training. Unfortunately, there are several myths surrounding it that should be explained and cleared up.

Myth 1

Dit Da Jow is only for Martial Artists

This is definitely a myth perpetuated years ago as it was only provided to martial artists by their instructors and not readily available to non-martial artists. In addition, since it was so closely guarded information about it was practically non-existent and unheard of.
Dit Da Jow can be used by anybody who suffers an injury or bruises easily, the main healing effect is its ability to relieve blood stagnation and stasis, when these two occur there can be swelling, bruising and pain.
In 2018 more consumers than ever before are being made aware of its healing powers, men and women who are not involved in martial arts are finding Dit Da Jow can be very beneficial for a variety of issues other than trauma type injuries. Some other popular uses are for varicose veins, shin splints, various contracture ailments, sore or strained muscles and the list goes on.

Myth 2

Dit Da Jow Takes Years to Make

Another myth that goes back hundreds of years. Shaolin monks used to bury their Dit Da Jow liniments, the herbs were soaked in rice wine, in clay pots then buried in the ground for years. They were patient and did not mind waiting. Today, we do not need to wait years to use our Dit Da Jow, we can start using in a month if you prepare the Jow as instructed. Two main reasons for this is, first we are using vodka or gin as our solvent, this is at least twice as strong alcohol percentage wise than rice wine which is in the 18%-20% alcohol range, the higher percentage alcohol enables a faster extraction. Second, making a good Jow quickly requires agitation. Shaking your jar two times per day for a minute or two is agitation, the more you shake the faster the extraction.
While aging your Jow will make it stronger, most people will not feel the difference. A majority of the extraction takes place in the first 3 weeks with proper agitation, so it is not necessary to deprive yourself years waiting to use. Take out a few ounces and let the majority sit and age, now you can enjoy the wondrous healing effects.

Myth 3

Dit Da Jow Liniment is the Same as Iron Palm Liniment

These two liniments are not the same, as mentioned above Dit Da Jow is for blood stagnation and blood stasis. The Iron Palm liniment on the other hand is for bones, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue health. This can range from any hand (or any bone) contact training like Iron Palm/Hand training or punching/kicking the heavy bag. In addition, the Iron Palm liniment is very good for healing broken or fractured bones when a cast cannot be used. When situations arise where the tendons, ligaments become inflamed the Iron Palm liniment is the go to liniment. The main problem is a vast majority of liniments sold online are advertised as Dit Da Jow but are actually Iron Palm. So it is important to verify exactly what is being sold before you make a purchase.

Myth 4

Using Any Type of Dit Da Jow for an Injury is Fine

This is not the case as there are different properties in each liniment offered. Some liniments have a cold property and others are more neutral then work their way up to warm then hot. For a fresh injury using a cold, neutral or slightly warm liniment is recommended. Injuries that have for the most part healed but still is painful should use a warm to hot liniment. If the Dit Da Jow or Iron Palm is to be used strictly for conditioning then a warm to hot liniment can be used if you wish. A good liniment to purchase for a fresh injury that can also be used later on as the injury heals is a neutral to mildly warm property.

Myth 5

All Liniments Sold Are Essentially the Same

That is a real myth, as we mentioned above there is a big difference between Dit Da Jow and Iron Palm and there are literally thousands of different formulas that can be considered either. Besides the different properties that each formula can have, they also can be prepared using anywhere from three herbs like the San Huang San or the Black Sand which has close to fifty herbs. One is for swelling right after an injury and the other for hard core conditioning and Qi movement for breaking bricks and stone.

As mentioned above, a Dit Da Jow liniment might be advertised online, but in actuality it could be a hot property Iron Palm liniment, that is primarily for conditioning and should not be used on fresh injuries especially if there is swelling involved. I’m sure I do not need to remind you that if you sprain a joint, do not immediately place or wrap anything warm or hot on it as it can create more swelling and pain. So it is important to ask questions before you buy to make sure you will be receiving the right liniment for your needs.

There are also a lot of liniments sold that combine the healing properties of both the Dit Da Jow and Iron Palm, while this can be very helpful it might not be worth the extra expense if all you need is a liniment that is for bruises and not one to heal bones or tendons. If you hit your thumb while hammering a nail all you need is Dit Da Jow and not Iron Palm. Also some of these hybrid type formulas might not be strong enough to heal a trauma type injury since they are only using a few herbs for treating blood stagnation instead of liniment that dedicates the entire recipe to bllod stasis and blood stagnation.