Dit Da Jow (跌打酒, dié dǎ jiǔ ) is known in English as “bruise hit wine”.

It is a blend of herbs soaked in alcohol for an extended period of time rendering a tincture or liquid liniment designed to promote swift healing. The jow/wine itself is meant to be applied externally on the skin and allowed to absorb into the muscles, tendons and fascia.

Herbal formulas for dit da jow were traditionally used by martial artists to repair injuries caused by training -and fighting. Jow has a long history in Asia and has been used for a wide variety of injuries from strikes, blows and impact, to pulled muscles and tendons or even for bruises and broken bones.

The traditional liquid liniment is designed to work on soft tissue such as muscle, fascia, tendons and ligaments, but internal formulas can work on organs or even bones. Jow formulas follow the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and more recently the Five Elements.

Recipes “cook” in a liquid base of top quality vodka for over 1 year. We tested many types of alcohol (including brandy, vodka, rice wine and rum) over the course of 6 years and determined, that high quality vodka renders a more potent, and energetically charged formula that preserves the Qi of the herbs used. When we soaked raw herbs in low grade alcohol (which many other producers of jow do) we found the strength of the formula to be compromised which resulted in a very “flat” energetic quality to both cooling and warming recipes. These “mass production” and “commercial grade” jows do not penetrate qi into the body to promote deep healing, but instead “sit” on the top of the skin and quickly dissipate.

Traditional recipes call for rice wine, the alcohol that was available in Asia when jow was invented. However, the low alcohol content slows down the soaking process, requiring a lot more time to produce results. Luna Liniments has understood the combination of clay, rice wine and earth produces a deeply rich combination that takes decades to produce. Our anti-inflammation line is made using this method and is superb.

Luna Liniments uses only top quality herbs sourced from the USA and top quality vodka. By sourcing from USA herbs, we hope to reduce the amount of pollutants that can be found in low-quality herbs imported from Asia. Whenever possible, we look for the “organic” label. Of course, using only the best ingredients makes our prices higher, but our clients can vouch for the quality and effectiveness of Luna Liniments products.

Just as with any product that has enjoyed over a thousand years of development, there are multiple formulas with anywhere from 5 ingredients to over 75! Some formulas are cooling, some are warming, and some are just plain hot.

Here are some herbs that we use in our formulas. Please note that not all herbs mentioned here are used in every recipe. Only some, in varying proportions, and along with many other possibilities.

Cooling jow – is used to bring down swelling and counts on herbs such as:

  • Bo He, Field Mint, Mentha
  • Bai Shao,  White Peony Root
  • Ru Xiang, Frankinsense
  • Mo Yao, Myrrh
  • Di Gu Pi, Goji  Berry root
  • Zhang Nao, Camphor
  • Pu Gong Ying, Dandelion

Warming Jow – is used to move blood, break up bruising and promote circulation. Some herbs used in warming formulas include:

  • Dang Gui, Angelica Sinensis
  • Long Gu, Dragon Bone
  • Ding Xiang, Cloves
  • Chuan Xiong, Ligusticum
  • Bai Bu, Stemona
  • Ruo Gui, Cinnamon

 

Packaging – our herbal blends are presented in glass jars or bottles with a deep blue color. We have intentionally chosen glass as it will not interact with the jow and thus preserve its original strength and energetic properties. It is well known that plastic degrades and seeps into anything it stores and so, with our commitment to highest quality, we do not use plastic at Luna Liniments.

The blue color does two things, first it protects the ingredients against light exposure and thus extends the shelf life of the product. This is particularly important with the liquid jow blend which can last for years if stored properly.

Blue also imbues the energetic properties of healing and blocks out any other color light.

Of course, it also matches our logo!