There’s been some talk of jow on the forums lately. I thought it might be handy to post some reviews of the jows available online.
Here’s the stuff I’ve tried:
Wing Lam Secret Kung Fu Liniment
I’ve been through a couple bottles of this stuff. It’s supposed to be for iron palm training. I’ve done a little of this, but I haven’t stuck with the training long enough to be able to comment on the jow’s effectiveness. This jow has a pale brown coloration, and very little if any sediment is in each bottle. I’ve used it for general training bruises with okay results.
Ancient Way Dit Da Jow Iron Palm Formula Gallon Kit – Powdered
About a year ago I brewed up a gallon of this stuff. I’ve been letting it age, and haven’t really used it. I wish I had bought the non-powdered version, but at the time I had no idea what I was doing (who am I kidding – I still have no idea what I’m doing).
One of the first things I noticed about the brew was the smell. Since the kit comes with camphor and menthol the jow smells more like a cough drop than jow. Also, I used grain alcohol instead of rice wine or vodka. This was a mistake as well. (I’d also recommend against taking a shot of 95% alcohol. It burns like fire, and I felt like I had strep throat for the rest of the night. The label wasn’t kidding when it said “Don’t drink straight.”)
Five Photo Brand Dit Da Jow
This is my favorite so far. It’s fairly cheap per-ounce. Each bottle contains a fair amount of sediment. It has a dark brown coloration. I’ve tested it, and had good results in treating bruises, strains, and old joint injuries. It smells darn good, too.
8 Immortals Jow
I’ve only used this jow a hand full of times. My sifu has a bottle; he’ll give me some when I’ve taken a particularly bad beating.
The jow is darkly colored, and has a ton of sediment. In fact, when you apply the jow some herb flecks come out with the liquid. It feels almost grainy. The few times I used it I was pretty pleased with the results – very good for bruising.
