[custom_adv] 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. [custom_adv] 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. [custom_adv] The four-week programme is run by trainers from Tianjiao Special Guard Consultant Ltd - the first open group training for female bodyguards in China. [custom_adv] Each trainee goes through 10 months of instruction to develop their skills in reconnaissance, anti-terrorism training, martial arts and business etiquette. [custom_adv] The best individual from the class is also invited to study further at the International Security Academy in Israel. 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. [custom_adv] 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. [custom_adv] 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. [custom_adv] 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. [custom_adv] A Beijing-based personal bodyguard company named Tianjiao Special Guard Security launched a boot camp in Hainan Island. The 20 women bodyguard candidates subject to a grueling training program. [custom_adv] These women are either undergraduates of finance, law or public relations, or unemployed female youths in the society. Training classes include physical training and super-strength combat training. Insiders say that there will be a great demand for female bodyguards in the following next five years [custom_adv] Trainees gather at the beach as they wait for the beginning of a training session. All trainees have to undergo 8-10 months of training to develop sufficient skills to serve their clients. The company will offer the best trainee a chance to attend further study at the International Security Academy in Israel.
