Not that kind of sidekick
The sidekick we refer too is more akin to a Chewbacca, Samwise Gamgee or a Robin the boy wonder. Most especially D.C. Comics’s iconic super-hero understudy, he would be an ideal candidate for the practice as an almost literal translation of the phrase amounts to the mysterious workings of young boys. A more common translation would be Virgin Kung Fu, it’s a foundational part of the curriculum for young monks growing up at Shaolin Temple.
Tongzigong is one of the most spectacular forms of Shaolin kung fu, and yet it has no direct fighting applications. It is a fundamental building block of Shaolin practice, and yet it is too extreme for most practitioners to even begin to attempt. Its name implies youth, and yet its most celebrated practitioners are the elderly. It is one of Shaolin's deepest meditation techniques, and yet it is the centerpiece act in almost every Shaolin theatrical show that toured the globe over the last two decades. If ever there was a Shaolin koan, tongzigong is that tangled knot.
Gene Ching: Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine – June 2010
Tongzigong (童子功) is a discipline for the young. To achieve its highest levels, tongzigong must be practiced rigorously before the body is fully matured. Once the bones are set, mastery of this discipline is unattainable. The body must be molded as it grows. Tongzi means child, boy or virgin. Gong means work. It's actually the same character as kung in kung fu (功夫), which literally means skill, art, labor or effort. When taken literally, kung fu can embrace any manner of disciplines, from painting to craftsmanship. Only Westerners use the term exclusively to signify Chinese martial arts. In proper pinyin, the term is gongfu.
</p><p>To the untrained eye, tongzigong is a spectacle of contortionism, a real show-stopper on stage. Contortionists have been an integral act in street performances and circus for centuries. Who isn)t impressed by a contortionist hooking their feet behind their shoulders? But for Shaolin practitioners, tongzigong is far more than just a circus act. Within tongzigong lies an internal cultivation that is key to the very essence of all Shaolin kung fu.
Gene Ching: Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine – June 2010
