Trained to guard the rich

Trained to guard the rich

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Splattered with dirt, students at China’s Tianjiao bodyguard school huddle together for warmth as they sleep during a break in high-intensity training.

Studying at the academy on the outskirts of Beijing is not for the faint-hearted. Trainees go through gruelling exercises, and can find themselves crawling through mud or being drenched with water as they are taught to protect China’s rich and famous.

. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A group of students trains with replica 95 semi-automatic rifles at Tianjiao, a company run by ex-soldier Chen Yongqing.

Chen says the school is China's first professional academy to coach former soldiers and others as bodyguards.

The business has hired trainers from Israel and Russia, and is looking to France and Britain as well, Chen said, although it also works closely with the Chinese military.

. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Zhang, a businessman pictured here with his wife and three-year-old son, now employs 18 bodyguards from Tianjiao.

"Apart from the security in my company, they are also responsible for the safety of my family," Zhang said. "Society is not stable nowadays."

. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Chen, pictured here during a group dinner with his students, says that his company’s customers have changed over time.

"When we started our business, most of our clients were celebrities," Chen said. "Most of our clients now are rich entrepreneurs. It's all related to their business because I think bodyguards are also a status symbol."

Chen charges 500,000 yuan ($82,400) a year for each protector and says his company is doing so well that he is considering a stock market listing.

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Slideshow

Students carry a tree trunk over their heads as they are put through their paces at Tianjiao.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Students carry a tree trunk over their heads as they are put through their paces at Tianjiao.

Blood congeals on a student's finger during training.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Blood congeals on a student's finger during training.

A trainee grimaces as he pulls himself along the ground.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A trainee grimaces as he pulls himself along the ground.

A student opens her cufflinks with her teeth after crawling through the mud.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A student opens her cufflinks with her teeth after crawling through the mud.

Instructors kick a young man who was ready to give up during high-intensity training.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Instructors kick a young man who was ready to give up during high-intensity training.

Students carry a fellow trainee who passed out.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Students carry a fellow trainee who passed out.

A trainee lies on the ground after being drenched with water.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A trainee lies on the ground after being drenched with water.

A student reacts to having water poured over him.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A student reacts to having water poured over him.

Blood drips from a student's nose as he takes part in a long-distance run.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Blood drips from a student's nose as he takes part in a long-distance run.

Young men hold replica 95 semi-automatic rifles as they go through training.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Young men hold replica 95 semi-automatic rifles as they go through training.

A student aims her replica gun.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A student aims her replica gun.

An instructor hits a trainee with a replica weapon.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

An instructor hits a trainee with a replica weapon.

Students take part in training at a field managed by the military.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Students take part in training at a field managed by the military.

Students practice protecting their employers at the training field.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Students practice protecting their employers at the training field.

Students run over the bodies of their fellow trainees.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Students run over the bodies of their fellow trainees.

Young men point replica pistols at one another during an exercise.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Young men point replica pistols at one another during an exercise.

Trainees practice helping their employer escape into a car.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Trainees practice helping their employer escape into a car.

Bodyguard student Ding Kun stands watch in a villa during field training.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Bodyguard student Ding Kun stands watch in a villa during field training.

Han, a bodyguard who was hired from Tianjiao, checks his earphone as his employer Zhang gets ready to leave home.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Han, a bodyguard who was hired from Tianjiao, checks his earphone as his employer Zhang gets ready to leave home.

Han helps his employers to make dinner.
. BEIJING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Han helps his employers to make dinner.