Lap Sau and Dit Da Jow

[PHILBERT]

Hope I spelled it right. Anyway, when we practice Lap Sau in class, I seem to get marks up and down my arms from the punching and was wondering, is it possible to MAKE your own dit da jow at your home? If so, is there a site that describes the method? I went into a place today that sells herbal stuff and asked if they sold it and the lady said "$8 for 4 oz" and pulls out this gallon of brown stuff in a glass bottle. So I figured she makes her own and was wondering if I could make some?

Also, exactly what is it used for? I know you apply it to bruises and it'll help treat them, but can it also work on cuts and burns? By burns, I mean like hot water spill or something. Thanks.

[Serpent]

Never use it on broken skin.

Yes you can make your own.

There are as many recipes as there are kung fu schools! Ask your sifu.

[PHILBERT]

I asked him, he doesnt know any. At my school we train more street fighting stuff. Its traditional, but we don't do philosophy of the art and when I asked him, all he said was "Isnt that some kind of herb or recipe?"

[raving_limerick]

Isn't dit pretty much just special herbs seeped in alcohol which serves as a penetrating agent/solvent? If so, I'd imagine it'd be fairly easy to mix up, provided you knew the recipe and could get quality supplies.

Myself, I've never used the stuff, just tiger balm. Dit kinda intimidates me. I don't need it yet, as I'm just a beginner, but I don't know where I'll get it from when I do. Maybe I'll ask sifu, but, still, I'd feel kinda wierd about walking into an oriental herbalist's and asking for it. For some reason the thought of me butchering the pronunciation leads to the disturbing image of my face plastered on David Caradine's body.

Ugh.

[dezhen2001]

he did a cool Tai Chi workout book/video though :D

As for dit da jow, i would get some professionally made stuff... Trying to make it yourself could be cool, but it's Chinese Medicine which has to be precise. I'm sure if you use the wrong things it could have consequences...

david

[Jamesbond_007]

You can make your own Jow and I don't see how doing it will cause consequences. The way most people buy and make their own Jow is they have a reciepe they follow that asks for the specific about of herbs and they just buy them from a herbal store and soak they herbs in rice wine or vodka for some time. Would I try to make my own reciepe without knowing about Chinese Medicene or the herbs? No! That would could cause consequences. I know a website that sells a Dit da Jow kit. It has all the herbs you need and all you have to do is soak it in alcohol, so you can't mess it up. Thats the way I do it and its some good stuff. If you are intereseted let me know.

[fa_jing]

If your bon arm is hurting, try to rotate your wrist a little more so that your taking the punch more on the fleshy part of your arm.

Dit tao jao is good for this, but even if you don't use it your arms will toughen up eventually.

-FJ

[Ray Pina]

Do you arm bang? When I was studying Hung Gar and Wing Chun we used to arm bang like mad men. A lot of bruses and a lot of Jow, but with time your arm becomes more bruse-resistant.

I'm against that practice now, myseld. I'm learning there are other ways to strenghten the arm, but this way probbaly takes more time and finesse and determination to do the practice. Arm banging is a quick and relatively paneless way to go about it -- it is a martial arts. Just be careful. You may pay in laters years for the banging today. I'm glad I did it when I did, so when bridges come in contact its like a normal every day thing -- because it was.

Good luck. As your teacher for jow.

[norther practitioner]

http://www.kumojiujitsu.com/jow_recipe.html
http://www.netxn.com/~khouse/hereat.htm
http://hickory.engr.utk.edu/~sage/martial/jow/jow.html

there are a few that I found...

[Sho]

This is not dit da jow, but there is a very effective and natural cream which heals basically the same way as dit da jow and also heals wounds. Very fast healing process if used as soon as possible (very good idea to carry along with your training gear). It is one of the best I've ever seen for all-around healing. The name is Aloe, which is made of cactus. It can be found in various organic, health and herbal shops and is very cheap. It can be used in any part of the body (even inside mouth and can be swallowed) without any side effects.

[Chang Style Novice]

Aloe is most effective for treating burns. It is also one of the houseplants that most effectively purifies air. Another good one that is very common is the Pothos Vine. Both are very easy to grow (although Aloe is a very slow grower) and difficult to kill, even by the most brown-thumbed. IMO, no home should be without at least one of each. You should be able to get both at any nursery, or grow your own from a cutting.

http://www.autographfoliages.com/PlantsandBushes/_derived/Pothos.htm_txt_P-329.gif

Above: a pothos plant
Below: an aloe plant



http://www.aromaland.com/design_images/aloe.jpg

[JWTAYLOR]

www.taichiherb.com

Best d@mn DDJ on the planet.

JWT