Aboard a packed passenger jet in mid-flight somewhere over Asia, a security guard disables a hijacker by slipping a scarf over his head and pulling him to the ground.

However, the passengers are trainee bodyguards, the hijacker is an instructor, and the plane is a mock-up used for training flight attendants.

Inspired by the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, China's Tianjiao bodyguard school has introduced a special course on flight safety. Trainees are taught emergency evacuation procedures and close-quarter combat skills so that they can handle situations such as natural disasters and plane hijackings.

scarf
Tianjiao bodyguard school trainees watch their instructor use a scarf to disable a 'hijacker' during a a special flight safety training course inside a scale model of a passenger jet Reuters
fight
An instructor demonstrates close-quarter combat skills on a scale model of a passenger jet Reuters
slide
Trainees of the Tianjiao bodyguard school practise emergency evacuation from a scale model of a passenger jet at a flight attendant training centre on the outskirts of Beijing Reuters

The Tianjiao bodyguard school was set up by former soldier Chen Yongqing. He employs former Israeli and Russian military men to put recruits through rigorous training and punishing endurance tests.

Chen says that when he started the bodyguard school, most of his clients were celebrities. Now, he says: "Most of our clients are rich entrepreneurs. It's all related to their business because bodyguards are a status symbol."

mud man
A trainee bodyguard is covered in mud after completing a gruelling course Reuters
mud tryes
Trainee bodyguards covered in mud lift tyres during a night training session Reuters
sleeping
Mud-soaked students huddle together for warmth as they sleep during a break in training Reuters
collapsed
Students carry a female trainee who collapsed during training Reuters
walk on water
A bodyguard hopeful steps on the stomachs of other trainees during a training session on a beach in Sanya, Hainan province Reuters
guns
Students holding replica semi-automatic rifles rehearse protecting their employers at a firing range outside Beijing Reuters
car
Trainees practise helping their employer escape into a car while under fire Reuters
water
A trainee reacts as he is drenched with water Reuters
woman floor
A trainee lies on the ground after she was blasted with water Reuters
bottle head
A recruit gets a bottle smashed over her head during a training session for China's first female bodyguards Reuters
Related