It so happens that the combined lineages of foXfist contain a significant number of master bodyguards, particularly from China, but also from Japan.
The history of bodyguarding in China is as old as China itself. For thousands of years this vast country has had lawless regions roamed by bandits. So when merchants had to travel, they took bodyguards along to protect them.
The bodyguarding industry grew large as trade in China grew and prospered through such things as the Silk Road and China's central position in, and dominance of, the Far East. The Imperial court and high ranking officials also had bodyguards, and there was some overlap between military bodyguards and the private bodyguarding profession.
Today in China, as in earlier times, having a bodyguard is more than just a means of protection: it is a sign of prestige through which officials can reinforce their authority, and private businessmen can build their gravitas. In recent years the industry has gained a further boost from China's new generation of powerful business people, and looks to have an assured future.
As a result of its long tradition and the endless opportunity for refinement that occurred in an ever changing political and social maelstrom for thousands of years, Chinese Bodyguarding is a fascinating and exciting discipline that represents a unique challenge to contemporary martial artists.