China instructor grabs swimming child, pushes head into water, claims helps conquer inhibitions
- Camp meant to help children overcome fear of water, and learn to swim, but many wondered if tactics did more harm than good
A military-style “training camp” in southern China sparked online controversy for the ruthless hardships it places on its young campers, with some describing it as “devil training”.
Footage from the camp leaked online, including one video of a camp counsellor forcibly submerging an 11-year-old boy’s head underwater while the child attempted to swim with his hands tied behind his back.
The instructor yelled “faster, faster” as the boy flailed, struggling to gather momentum.
The brutal swimming lesson is part of the curriculum of a military-style training camp named Chuang Shi Mo Xun, or “Genesis Devil Training”.
The training camp director told Chinese Business View that many children were afraid to submerge their bodies in water, and the child in the video was “somewhat timid”.
The training was intended to help him overcome “psychological barriers” and practise swimming.
