'Boot up the backside camp': Training female bodyguards Chinese style

Trainees go through 10-month gruelling regime to become professional bodyguards

Economic boom in China means wealthy business people looking for personal security

Women much in demand as they can 'play' roles including secretary

Dressed in skimpy bikinis, these Chinese women could be going for a day out at the beach.

But these trainees are in fact being put through a gruelling regime in Sanya, Hainan province, on the road to become female bodyguards.



Twenty women, most of them college graduates, were kicked, dunked, near-drowned and forced to carry a heavy log between them during a tough boot camp run by professional bodyguards on Sunday.

Best foot forward: Two bikini-clad trainees are kicked and hit with pads as they crawl on the beach during a bodyguard training session in Sanya, China

Lucrative: The trainees grab on to each others' ankles during an exercise supervised by an expert from Tianjiao Special Guard Consultant Ltd

The four-week programme is run by trainers from Tianjiao Special Guard Consultant Ltd - the first open group training for female bodyguards in China.

Each trainee goes through 10 months of instruction to develop their skills in reconnaissance, anti-terrorism training, martial arts and business etiquette.

The best individual from the class is also invited to study further at the International Security Academy in Israel.

Put through their paces: A trainer dunks the head of one of the would-be bodyguards in the sea

No let up: The woman is then doused in sea water as she comes up for air

In demand: The trainees carry a heavy log on their shoulders as they walk through the sea

With the booming economy in China and increasing wealth sparked by high demand for Chinese goods and materials, demand for bodyguard services had risen dramatically on the Chinese mainland.

Graduates of bodyguard courses can look forward to a well-paid career if they are recruited by wealthy businessmen.

That is especially the case for women, because they are less visible than their male counterparts and because they can assume roles such as secretary or nanny, they are in high demand.

Glamorous: The women, many of them college graduates, line up before the start of the training session. Demand for female bodyguards has risen sharply in China as they booming economy as made wealthy business people look to their own security

Not quite Baywatch: Splashing through the surf, the trainees are driven hard by their instructors

No pain, no gain: This trainee walks over her colleagues' stomachs as they wince in pain

Female bodyguards are often paid far better than male counterparts - up to $100 a day - too because they can adopt different roles. The average annual wage in China is just $1,500.

The boom in China has also seen a rise in the growth of wealthy women, who prefer female bodyguards because their presence does not raise questions of potential relationships.

Instruction: A trainer uses a megaphone to get his point across as the women prepare to complete another exercise