Dit Da Jao Recipe



Dit da jow (Cantonese) literally means: “hit and fall wine” (or liniment). Jow, as it is commonly referred, can be broken down into two types: han (cold) and re (hot).

Hot jow is actually heated to increase blood flow under the herbs, for situations that require a lot of circulation and lymphatic drainage around an area. Cold jow is used as an all-purpose post injury liniment. Its properties are similar to hot jow except it's not heated, the herbs used are different, and it can be used straight after an injury.

For best results, to promote the break-up of stagnant blood, lymph and qi circulation the herbs are usually rubbed into the injured area before and after a workout. It should be noted that one of the secrets of jow is in the rubbing. Soft tissue manipulation alone will promote many of the qualities without the jow, though the medicine speeds up the healing time and prevents improper drainage and stagnation problems.

Tiger Balm Recipe

While we are on the subject of rubbing, ‘Tiger Balm' is the oriental version of ‘Vicks'. If you can't get a good jow, this is an easy alternative. If you want to make your own, here's how it is done…

Small jar of petroleum jelly (Vaseline)

Small jar of Vicks

Cayenne red pepper

Dried red chilli peppers.



Put the petroleum jelly in a pot and melt it on the stove at low heat. Add two or three tablespoons of Vicks, so it suits the level of menthol smell desired, and also melt. Grind up the red pepper with a mortar and pestle until it's a powder, mix it with the cayenne pepper and add to the melted mixture. While in its liquid state, re-pour it back into a jar and let cool. The quantities of the cayenne or the chilli pepper will be based on the desired strength of you require; ‘Red Tiger Balm' has more than ‘White'. If you use a small jar of petroleum jelly and you want it hot, use two tablespoons of both peppers finely ground and stirred into the compound. When it cools it will be a pink to red colour.


Simple Dit Da Jow

The following recipe is a simple dit da jow that uses common Chinese herbs that are for the most part easy to get in Asian herbal stores. This is a fast formula, which can be made then used straight away without cellaring to mature.

These are the Chinese names and botanical names of the herbs.

1 bottle of rice spirit This must be over 40 percent alcohol (but not the twice distilled higher proof, flammable version). Cheap gin or vodka will do. You can also use two parts distilled water and one part ‘Everclear' (100 percent pharmaceutical alcohol) or isopropyl alcohol. Don't forget to water it down so no longer flammable. The alcohol dissolves the oils from the herbs and acts as a preservative.

Liu Ji Nu 5g Artemesia anomala. Use for healing second and third degree burns and bleeding from wounds

Bing Pian 1g Dryobalanops aromatica. Refreshes skin, alleviates pain and itching as well as helps absorption of the herbs across the skin.

Hong Hua 5g Carthami Tinctorii (Saffron flower). Stops blood stasis and alleviates pain.

Er Cha 8g Acacia catechu. Drains dampness and absorbs seepage from sores and stops bleeding.

Da Ji 1g Cirsium japonicus. Reduces swelling and helps generates healing of flesh.

Xue Jie 30g Draconis Sanguis (Dragons blood). Stops blood stasis, alleviates pain, stops bleeding and helps to generate new flesh.

Ru Xiang 5g Boswellia carterii (Frankincense). Rudes swelling, helps to regenerate the flesh and alleviates pain.

She Xiang 1g Moschus moschiferus (Musk). Invigorates the blood, dissipates clots, reduces swelling and alleviates pain. Due to the endangered status of the musk deer synthesised muscone is used instead.

Mo Yao 5g Myrrha. Promotes heeling, reduces swelling and alleviates pain.

Ban Xia (Sheng {Raw}) 5g Pinellia ternata. Reduces ulceration and deep sores.



Note that the traditional recipe includes the herb…

Zhu Sha 5g Cinnabaris. Clears heat and toxicity from wounds, and prevents infection.


This herb has been removed, as its active ingredient is mercuric sulphide, which can be toxic, causing mercury poisoning, if used over long periods of time.




Take all ingredients and grind them into a fine powder. The traditional way the herbs are loosely ground, and not machine ground into a fine powder. The herbalist may do the grounding for you. Mix well into the whole bottle of spirit and rub into the injured area, until healed.

The beauty of this particular recipe is that you don't have to bury it for one or two lunar cycles before you can use it. Classically when you made jow, before it could be used, it had to be buried underground for an extended period of time. Sunlight and heat oxidise and ages the mixture, so it was better to store it in a cool dark place—keeping in mind that around the seventh century there were no wine cellars handy.

If you desire to have the herbs soak, pour the above combination into a dark glass container and place it in a low closet or cupboard where it shouldn't get too hot, and periodically shake the liniment once or twice a week. The longer it ages the stronger the jow becomes.

This is the reason many kung fu practitioner's will not buy store bought jow, but prefer to make our own. The bought jow never has any of the herbs at the bottom of the bottle. Also some are sold in plastic bottles, and over time the plastic starts to break down into the herbal formula. Some are even sold in clear bottles with no way to know how long it's been in there.

It is important that jow not be rubbed into open wounds, taken internally or placed into the eyes. It should not be used during pregnancy or when breast-feeding. If it's an old chronic injury the rubbing technique is usually slow and deep, if it's relatively new then soft, quick massage.


Traditional Dit Da Jow Recipe

This is a traditional herbal recipe is used on sprains, strains, and especially bruises that can occur during training. It is used externally on the closed wound covered with gauze and bandage to help hold the herbs in place. In difficult areas it can be spooned onto a piece of gauze, then the dressing is placed over the painful area; taped or bandaged on. It should not be used during pregnancy or when breast-feeding. It should not be swallowed.
Boiling Herbs
Fu Zi 28g Aconitum carmichaeli. Warms the channels and alleviates pain. A method of preparing the root changes the colour to white. It is this white herb that is used and not the black version.

Dang Gui 28g Angelica Sinensis. Reduces swelling, expels pus, helps to generates new flesh and alleviates pain.

Dang Gui Pian 56g Angelicae Sinensis. Another part of the same plant.

Raw Herbs

Hong Hua 28g Carthami Tinctorii (Saffron flower). Stops blood stasis and alleviates pain.

Ban Xia 28g Pinellia ternate. Reduces ulceration and deep root sores.

Ding Xiang 28g Eugenia caryophyllata (clove flower bud). Has a preservative, antibiotic and anti-fungal effect.

Tian Nan Xing 28g Arisaema consanguineum. Reduces swelling and alleviates pain.

She Chuang Zi 28g Cnidium monnieri. Anti-fungal and reduces itch.

Chuan Xiong 28g Ligusticum chuanxiong. Preservative and Antibiotic affect.

Xue Jie 28g Draconis Sanguis (Dragons blood). Stops blood stasis, alleviates pain, stops bleeding and helps to generate new flesh.

Ru Xiang 28g Boswellia carterii (frankincense). Rudes swelling, helps to regenerate the flesh and alleviates pain.

Mo Yao 28g Myrrha. Promotes heeling, reduces swelling and alleviates pain.

Da Huang 14g Rheum palmatum (rhubarb root). Major cooling agent, don't need much.

San Qi 14g Panax notoginseng. Stops bleeding without causing blood clotting, reduces swelling and alleviates pain.

Bai Bu 56g Stemona sessilifolia. Root, harder to extract the good stuff, invigorates the blood, preservative and anti-parasitic effect

Rice-wine-spirit 3.5 litres



Grind all herbs to a powder, keeping boiling herb and raw herbs separated. Mix half the alcohol and boiling herbs, then slowly simmer with lid on the pot for 30 minutes to remove toxins. Mix raw herbs with the cooled boiled mixture and add the rest of the alcohol. Pour into a light-resistant jar. Store in a dark place for six months or traditionally bury for six lunar cycles.

All the tinctures can be mixed with a thickener (like lanolin or safflower oil) and a hardener (like beeswax) to make an ointment.