The Best Dit Da Jow : One Destination, Many Paths / One Path, Many Destinations
What is The Best Dit Da Jow?
Customers often ask for our best or strongest Dit Da Jow (or best/strongest Elixir).
This has been the case since Shen Martial Arts began offering our fomulas to the public over 30 years ago. Back then, Dit Da Jow was not well known, and there was little information available. Today however, there are mountains of information, including printed books, online articles, blogs, videos and social media postings. Yet, the same inquiry persists both from people that are new to dit da jow and from those who have been using it for years.
One reason for this is the cheer number of different formulas being offered by literally hundreds of sellers. Add to that the plethora of often conflicting printed and online information that is now easily available and the subject becomes quite confusing for users.
One page of Google search for "Dit Da Jow"
Making matters worse, sellers continue to promote their formulas as the best, the most effective and/or the "strongest". Sale of dit da jow has become a lucrative small business or "side hustle" and a large number of sellers that present themselves as Dit Da Jow authorities are really just amateurs with superficial knowledge and limited understanding, mostly gained from information that is looked up and regurgitated exponentially on the internet.
At Shen Martial Arts, we too offer a very large variety of different Dit Da Jow formulas and while we try to provide clear and detailed descriptions to help buyers in their selection, this can be both intimidating and confusing. We are very aware that we need to do more and need to do it better to inform, educate and guide users and there is alot of work going on now to this end, This section of our blogs is in fact, one of several efforts we are in deploying to add to your understanding and improve your experience.
Asking The Wrong Question
Back to the original question, What is the Best Dit Da Jow?, The answer is, There is no one single best Dit Da Jow. Likewise, there is not one strongest Dit Da Jow. Let me repeat that:
THERE IS NO BEST DIT DA JOW. THERE IS NO STRONGEST DIT DA JOW.
This is true as long as the dit da jow is formulated correctly, made correctly and the herbs are of good quality.
The reason Shen makes and offers such a large variety of Dit Da Jow formulas is the they are all made to achieve one of various different results and there are different methods to achieving any one particular result. So, while there is no one best formula, there is a best formula for you and your particular profile.
Therefore the real question to ask is, what is it that you want to achieve? In other words, What do you need the jow to do? This question brings with it a number of associated questions that you need to answer in order to identify the best jow for you.
What do you need the Jow for?
To clear bruising? To reduce healing time of an injury? To reduce swelling? To eliminate pain? To recover faster from heavy workouts or from physical labor? To strengthen your joints or body to avoid soreness and bruising? To heal a tear or pull? For chronic pain? For pathological pain? Etc.
What is your Profile? Starting a new exercise regimen? Age/Gender? Physical condition? Advancing to another level of training? Serious, professional or competitive athlete?
To simplify, you need to know where you are and what you are trying to accomplish.
One Destination, Many Paths
In Chinese herbology, there is a saying that the describes this same concept: One herb, Many Illnesses / One Illness, Many Herbs. The reason there is a variety of true, authentic dit da jows is that there any one condition can be generated by a number of different root causes and likewise, any root cause can be treated in a number of different ways.
Your best Dit Da Jow - Where are you & where do you want to go?
A single herb has many benefits and can be useful for a number of different health conditions. Likewise, a single health issue can be treated with any one of a number of different herbs.
Many Paths Leading to One Destination
Inflamation can be caused by trauma which results in swelling. The standard first aid for swelling from a twisted ankle for example, is to apply ice. That is because inflammation is inherently hot in nature. However, the cold from ice slows down blood flow, reducing the swelling but also slowing the healing process, which requires increased blow flow. The most common type of dit da jow formula uses herbs that increase blood flow combined with herbs that make the formula cooling to both heal and reduce swelling. Within this type of formula, there can be many different types of herbs in different combinations, all achieving this result.
Swelling however, can be caused by other factors such as cold, water retention, toxicity, and a host of other internal and external conditions. Shen's 5 fragrance Dit Da Jow for example, employs herbs that open the channels and vessels, allowing blood and Qi (chi) to flow freely preventing the slowing and stagnation that cause swelling and pain.
All authentic Dit Da Jow formulas are formulated with a particular strategy that addresses specific conditions. In the 5 fragrance example, opening and relaxing to move blood will work safely, while formulas with blood invigorating, blood moving herbs risk exhacerbating pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol (blood thickness) or blocked blood vessels.
The traditional formulas created by past masters follow a strategy that is based on treating trauma from injury, healing micro-damage from training allowing the practitioner to train consistently and continuously, reducing recovery time, and strengthening and conditioning the body to increase resistance to injury. Some include herbs used to prevent latent, incremental damage and chronic arthritis from manifesting later in life.
Specialized formulas included herbs to toughen the skin and nails, to strengthen the fascia, to relax as well as to strengthen the muscles and the sinews, etc.
Legendary Herbalist - Grandmaster Ark Y. Wong
With thousands of usable herbs and substances, about 500 readily available and around 260 used commonly the number of possible combinations is enormous and allows for specific, custom formulations covering a very broad range of targeted results and conditions.
One Path, Many Destinations
Historic Pacific Coast Highway 101 - One Path, Many Destinations
Just like one result can be achieved by different herbal combinations, one herbal combination can address a multitude of different desired results or treat various conditions. This is the beauty and genious of Chinese herbology and of using herbal combinations, as opposed to the more common approach of using single herbs and assigning set, specific uses for each herb.
At Shen Martial Arts, our go to formula, flagship and what became know for is our Shen Shaolin Temple Dit Da Jow. This is a broad spectrum formula that continues to surprise us with its wide range of positive results for almost any type of acute or chronic pain, trauma or injury. It is our first choice for those occasions when we have no information to go on. It is our interestate 5 or route 101, a single road that goes to many places.
Important note: More and more, traditional medicine is being forcibly re-shaped to fall in line with the narrative of modern allopathic medicine and the big pharma model, distorting its original process and design. One growing trend is to mix herbs based on their single function, to jointly address various symptoms. This approach is nothing like the arts of Dui Yao or pairing herbs for maximum effect and Fang Zi, herbal combining in Chinese medicine where herbs are selected based on their characteristics to synergize and strengthen the main purpose of the formula, to reduce or eliminate unwanted functions, and to balance the overall qualities of the completed formula. More on this coming soon on a separate post.
Your Best Dit Da Jow
There is no "Best" or "Strongest" dit da jow. There is only the best dit da jow for you. The question then must be, "Which dit da jow is best for me?" Further, that question needs to be asked repeatedly as your needs, condition, constitution, age and other factors change.
For those that are doing some form of physical training, whether it be martial arts, going to the gym, jogging, hiking or perhaps some form of recreational or competitive sport, your needs will change as you advance, as you encounter plateaus, as you challenge yourself, as you suffer injury or as you age.
Make Appropriate Changes to Reach Your Destination
Your goal will should always be to safely improve and advance, and this may require taking detours and different paths, changing your practice patterns or frequency and this may warrant asking the question at any one of these points. The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line, notwithstanding the most effective journey from where you are to where you want to be, which will almost certainly require a course adjustments.
Stay Tunned For Our Next Post
In our next posting, we will examine the obsession and fallacy of seeking Stronger dit da jow and how this infatuation is used for marketing and how too much of a good thing is a real adage in the world of dit da jow.
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