An Ancient Recipe

Firstly the weight loss is still going ahead. I had a little step back last week as i was on holiday from work for a week. This means i had more time to bum about at home. I also treated myself to a few snacks and beers that i wouldn’t have normally. I WAS ON HOLIDAY ! So i didn’t weigh-in that week . . . However i weighed in the week after at 101KG. That’s 15 stone 9. So the weight is still coming off slowly. That’s what i’m looking for, a slow but steady weight loss. I’m not interested in loosing a stone in a fortnight or anything. That kind of weight-loss i’ll put back on again. Interestingly enough i weighed myself before and after a [rather hard] kickboxing lesson yesterday. I lost almost 4.5 pounds ! Mostly in sweat . . .

Now i like potions. Who doesnt ? Potions are awesome. Some unknown ‘magical’ liquid in a bottle. As a training and general ‘well being aid’ there are three potions i regularly use. The first is tiger-balm. This is a parrafin based ointment that comes in small hexagonal glass jars. It comes in two varieties; Hot and cold. You massage it into the skin and it feel like deep-heat, but much better. I’ve used it ever since i can remember on aches and sprains. Secondly is ‘Thai oil’. This comes in small glass bottles and is a bright yellow oil based liniment. It has a very distinct smell like TCP and is massaged into the muscles to help fighters warm up or sooth aches after fights. It’s great stuff that stays hot for ages. Just don’t put it anywhere near your crotch. Trust me on that . . . Lastly is ‘Dit Da Jow’, a Chinese liniment used primarily by Kung Fu and Wing Chun practitioners. It’s alcohol based and is used for ‘iron palm’ and ‘iron shirt’ training. Basically smacking your hands against hard objects or smacking hard objects against your body. It builds up your muscles and tendons and causes calcification of the bones. Basically it makes you double-hard. Provided you don’t mind artheritus at 40. However by massaging ‘jow’ into the muscles and joints it aids healing. It helps to remove swelling and disipitates bruising. The Chinese have been using it as a martial arts training aid since the Han dynasty (and probably before)

Now these three things are essentially the same. They are liniments made wide different herbs and essential oils. Each herb/oil has a different healing property. Most medicine we take today has all been developed from natural substances. Ibuprofen for example comes from the bark of a tree, as does asprin.

[Perhaps herbalism is just another of my hankering for learning lost skills ?]

Now some of the stuff you buy (mainly Dit Da Jow) is crap. It’s made by persons unknown from substances unknown. So what if you could make your own ? Well you can. This is what i’m going to do. I’m currently seeking advice from respected Chinese herbalists to find out exactly what sort of effects i want from my own liniment. Once i decide on the ingredients i’m going to order a load and attempt to make up a batch.

 

Watch this space . . . . It’s going to be awesome