This Materia Medica is a comprehensive reference on Chinese herbs for Dit Da Jow that is designed directly with the martial artist and athlete in mind.
Materia Medica for Martial Artists
Paperback, 448 pages
Materia Medica for Martial Artists is the *only* resource of its kind. This reference on Chinese herbs is designed directly with the martial artist and athlete in mind. Specifically chosen herbs which are relevant to study of combat, healing, and peak performance are covered, including relevant classical functions and important notes about each herb, special processing, pharmacological actions and chemical compounds when necessary, lists of formulas each herb appears in, and useful remarks about the past, present, and future place of each substance. Countless painstaking hours went into the creation of this book, and a new perspective can be gleaned from referencing herbs in this resource.
As injury and conditioning formulas, training wines, and longevity tonics continue to proliferate throughout the martial arts, this reference work will help guide you through understanding the utility of various herbs in formulas and arm you with a great deal of notes and knowledge which has been unpublished until now.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Disclaimer
PART I OVERVIEW
Section 1 Antagonisms and Counteractions
Section 2 Understanding the Templates
PART II HERB TEMPLATES
Chapter 1 Herbs That Release Exterior Heat
Chapter 2 Herbs that Release Exterior Cold
Chapter 3 Heat-Clearing Herbs
Chapter 4 Herbs that Act as Purgatives
Chapter 5 Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness
Chapter 6 Aromatic Herbs that Dissolve Dampness
Chapter 7 Herbs that Regulate Water and Dissolve Dampness
Chapter 8 Herbs that Warm the Interior
Chapter 9 Herbs that Regulate Qi
Chapter 10 Herbs that Stop Bleeding
Chapter 11 Herbs that Invigorate the Blood and Remove Stasis
Chapter 12 Herbs that Resolve Phlegm
Chapter 13 Herbs that Calm the Shen
Chapter 14 Herbs that Calm the Liver and Extinguish Wind
Chapter 15 Herbs that Open the Orifices
Chapter 16 Herbs that Tonify
- Section 1 Qi Tonifying Herbs
- Section 2 Yang Tonifying Herbs
- Section 3 Blood Tonifying Herbs
- Section 4 Yin Tonifying Herbs
Chapter 17 Herbs that are Astringent
Chapter 18 Herbs for Topical Application
Bibliography
Glossary of Terms
Index of Chinese Herb Names
EXCERPT TEMPLATE
Pinyin Name: Gou Qi Zi
English Name: Lycium Berry
Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus Lycii
Properties: sweet and neutral
Meridians: Liver, Kidney, Lung
RELEVANT HERBAL ACTIONS
1. Tonify Yin
Gou Qi Zi has a mild action to tonify Yin of the Liver, Kidney, and Lung meridians and aids in generating fluids in the body. Based on the herbs it is used with, it can help address deficiencies with any of these meridian systems, such as infertility where there is low sperm count, nocturnal emissions, night sweats, problems with vision, and other Yin deficiency patterns.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Gou Qi Zi is the sweet red fruit of the Lycium Barbarum plant, a member of the nightshade family. It is also known as wolfberry and is commonly sold in western stores as an addition to tea or other food items as Goji berries. These berries are sweet enough to eat and house a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make them a great snack. Because they are mild in nature, they are not overly stagnating and can be used long-term, either in formula or singly as a daily snack.
Gou Qi Zi is a worthwhile herb for anyone to have around. Despite the traditional uses of Gou Qi Zi, it is an important antioxidant; it enhances general immune system function, and promotes the generation of blood cells.
Given its mild nature, Gou Qi Zi is commonly seen in tonics ranging from mild to very potent, and even in external formulas, albeit extremely rarely. It can be found in Golden Relic Pills, Golden Phoenix Elixir, all versions of Spring Wine, Winter Wine, PlumDragon Iron Bone Training Powder, Internal Strength and Balance Wine, Seven Seeds, Five Seeds Two Emperor Supplement the Essence Tea, Twelve Spiritual Generals Wine, Many Years Persistent Injury Wine, Three Treasures Soup, Warming and Quickening Wine, and classical formulas and patents such as Modified Rehmannia Six and Gecko Tonic tea pills.
Interestingly, Gou Qi Zi is also hidden away in external formulas such as Seven Star Praying Mantis bruise jow, Bak Mei Southern dit da jow, and Immortal Monk. In Immortal Monk, it appears along side Long Yan Rou; both are mild herbs that aid in moisturizing dryness, among other things. However, the other functions of these herbs are lost with external use.
