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Tiger Balm


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  • 1 month later...

Do I go there or don’t I? Oh well...

Tiger Balm and the like (Ben Gay, Flex-All 454, et al) are classified as counter-irritants. How does a counter-irritant work? It irritates the nerve endings in your skin and tricks your brain into thinking there’s a deep heating effect going on. Basically it’s like if you hurt your hand. I stomp pretty hard on your toe, then ask you if your hand hurts anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, I like counter-irritants too. But they’re not heating, loosening, etc. anything.

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  • 3 months later...

Tiger balm is ace. One of its key ingredients is wintergreen oil, which by weight, is about 1000 times as potent as an anti inflammatory as aspirin. Sounds great but not that much of it penetrates the skin.

I think there are far better products than tiger balm though. But tiger balm is 'traditional', and it's distinctive smell is like the cologne or musk of the martial artist. :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was a long time used of tiger balm, now I use battle balm. Little more expensive but I like it better. I use the demon strength one. Green tin.

A punch should stay like a treasure in the sleeve. It should not be used indiscrimately.

Kyan Chotoku Sensei

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Do I go there or don’t I? Oh well...

Tiger Balm and the like (Ben Gay, Flex-All 454, et al) are classified as counter-irritants. How does a counter-irritant work? It irritates the nerve endings in your skin and tricks your brain into thinking there’s a deep heating effect going on. Basically it’s like if you hurt your hand. I stomp pretty hard on your toe, then ask you if your hand hurts anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, I like counter-irritants too. But they’re not heating, loosening, etc. anything.

If it helps, it helps, so I don't really knock it for people who like it, but it doesn't help me at all. It irritates my skin too much, and I essentially get a chemical burn from it.

Kishimoto-Di | 2014-Present | Sensei: Ulf Karlsson

Shorin-Ryu/Shinkoten Karate | 2010-Present: Yondan, Renshi | Sensei: Richard Poage (RIP), Jeff Allred (RIP)

Shuri-Ryu | 2006-2010: Sankyu | Sensei: Joey Johnston, Joe Walker (RIP)

Judo | 2007-2010: Gokyu | Sensei: Joe Walker (RIP), Ramon Rivera (RIP), Adrian Rivera

Illinois Practical Karate | International Neoclassical Karate Kobudo Society

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I have used it but it doesn't seem to work for me. If I have inflammation I use white willow bark or thunder god vine. For me it works 100% better than tiger balm.

The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one who never fails-but the one who moves on in spite of failure.

Charles R. Swindoll

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