i recently started doing iron rings training in hung gar, and im suppose to put on dit da jow after training. But i am alaways a bit paranoid about it. im kinda scared that the jow might get into any wounds i have on my hand when i take a shower. (i put dit da jow on forearms) can someone tell me how long it will take the jow to be fully absorbed so it wont get washed into my wounds(if im wrong about anything, tell me)
This would be a great thread for Plum Dragon to answer. As for if it's bad, there are some Jows with herbs which can be toxic if they come into direct contact with the blood stream through an open wound and haven't been filtered naturally by the body's skin/muscle/veins/etc. This does not apply to every Jow, but care should still be taken to avoid rubbing it into open cuts and the like for extra safety.
And the jiao should go on before you train (and afterdepending on your schools methods) as it is meant to bring the bodies healing energies to the surfaces to protect you while you ae doig things that might normally hurt you.... sort of like putting your bodies defenses on red alert (and maybe one reason why toxin are in the formulae. powchoy
lil info on Die Da Jiu or Jow.. It is common, but varies depending on the school and/or herbalist. There are many variations of the liquid, often customized for different types of injuries. It should be geared for the system you practice. For Example, Hung Gar uses a particular liniment, as does Northern Shaolin or Praying Mantis. Wing Chun has their own formula. I know at my school it's custom made, with samples sent off to china to be tested for authentication, and the aging process of at least a year and usually 2. It even contains snake venom, so it's for EXTERNAL use only, although I have gotten it into nail scratches from pressure points, etc, with no bad results. I think you have to get ALOT of it internally absorbed before it's really dangerously toxic, but opinions differ,.. so.... I'm not an herbalist so I can't give that perspective. Just a CONSUMER... lol.
Hey guys! Getting dit da jow into wounds is a no-no for 2 reasons: 1. As noted, some formulas contain toxic herbs that you dont want entering your body via open wounds. While there are a great number of effective formulas that do not contain toxic ingredients, better safe than sorry unless you know exactly whats in there. But even then... 2. While some herbs in dit da jow stop bleeding, lower prothrombin rates, etc, one important action of a good dit da jow is to have a good dispersing and invigorating nature, allowing it to effectively resolve stagnation. This dispersing action works in direct opposition to the consolidating action required for closing and repairing an open wound, and would only exacerbate the problem. Consider from a more western perspective, you wouldnt use stitches to heal blunt-force trauma, and you wouldnt use massage to help heal an incision. Hope that helps =) Many of the formulas that come from different systems of martial arts are really more similar in action than you might think. The creation of different formulas in different systems is probably less of a necessity of using that systems jow for training that system, and more likely just that the herblalists of that time were restricted to utilizing herbs that were available in that region. Using a jow from the particular system you train in is more of a novelty and goes with the experience of learning the art. Fact is that mahy of the artists of old traded formulas and most schools had many formulas that were used for different types of training--For best results you should use a dit da jow that is geared towards an intended goal when training THAT goal, and only secondarily because it is a jow that is used in your system or school! =)
tiger balm My favorite dit da jow is tiger balm. I sure wouldn't want that in an open wound. If you have open wounds on your hands, you might want to change your training methods - just a suggestion.
Tiger Balm I would characterize Tiger Balm as a "salve" and Die Da Jieu as a "liniment" - but both are Die Da external medicines. Tiger Balm is generally used for cold, stagnant conditions (I use it primarily in conjunction with Gua Sha), whereas there are many different types of Die Da Jieu's, including those used for acute conditions, chronic conditions, etc. For the scrapes and cuts that you describe you might try initially dusting the area with Yunnan Bai Yao and then wash the area with a gentle soap and and warm water after the bleeding has subsided. Follow with Comfrey Ointment or Goldenseal and Myrrh Ointment. Royal Jade Cream, available from Healing Tao, is very effective but also expensive. If there is bruising to the bones and soft tissue (and often these bruises will remain after the cuts and scrapes, etc. have healed) you could turn to a jieu or soak at this point (i.e. after the cuts have healed) and address the issue at this point. Best, Steve
