EP22 Bruce Lee Fan Discusses Fighting, Dit Da Jow and Concussions

Staying in the Game, A Plum Dragon Herbs Podcast

In this episode, we're speaking with Leo Rodriguez, a Bruce Lee enthusiast and martial artist who had to adapt his training routine to lessen the side effects of multiple concussions. He hopes his story will help others to recognize some of the signs of brain trauma and get the help they need.

Rodriguez also shares how he was introduced to Dit Da Jow—herbal liniments with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties—through a friend whose father knew James Lee, the martial artist who is said to have introduced Iron Palm training to Bruce Lee. Dit Da Jow has been used for centuries in martial arts and Chinese culture and has been an integral party of iron palm training.

2:00 Leo begs his dad to let him study boxing.

9:30 Leo’s boxing coach at the New York Athletic Club, Shawn Raysor, dies of cancer. This devastating news became a turning point in Leo’s life, and he decides to pursue training in jiu jitsu.

12:45 Meets UFC Fighter Wonderboy Stephen Thompson at Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City who tells him, “At first, you’re the nail. Over time, you become the hammer.”

22:00 Experiencing double vision from multiple concussions and doctors not being able to help him address his concerns.

26:00 The back of your head (occipital lobe) is where most of the process is for vision; the frontal lobe is where your emotional and cognitive functions take place.

32:00 Severe concussion symptoms feel like a daily hangover including nausea, headaches and double vision.

38:00 Mentions how Bruce Lee died of a brain hemorrhage.

42:00 James Lee introduced Bruce Lee to iron palm and used lots of Dit Da Jow to accelerate their training.

43:15 Dit Da Jow has been used for hundreds of years in martial arts and is necessary for iron palm training to help prevent injuries and provide post-training conditioning.

47:20 Leo’s friend, Felix Macias, Jr., introduces him to Plum Dragon Dit Da Jow, and he recognizes the quality and effectiveness of these products.

57:00 For injury prevention in iron palm training or for addressing other types of pain like back pain, Leo recommends using Dit Da Jow.

1:03:00 Leo decides to train smarter than giving up training altogether. Jiujitsu has been an amazing art that has allowed him to avoid impact and blunt force to his head.

1:05:00 How to get in touch with Leo.

Resources Mentioned on the Show:

Black Belt Magazine Article: "Meet James Yimm Lee: "The Man Who Helped Make Bruce Lee a Success"

Inside Kung Fu Magazine Article: "Al Novak's East Wind Gung-Fu Club"

The Dragon and the Tiger, Volume 1: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do

The Dragon and the Tiger, Volume 2: The Untold Story of Jun Fan Gung-fu and James Yimm Lee

Connect with Leo Rodriguez:

Instagram

Find out more about Plum Dragon Dit Da Jow:

Dit Da Jow Collection

Connect with Plum Dragon Herbs:

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Thank You For Listening!

How did you like this episode? We’d love to continue the discussion with you. Share your comments and takeaways below.

And if you liked this episode, please subscribe to our iTunes and YouTube channels and be sure to follow, like and comment!

Podcast Music Credit:

Motherlode Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/