Action men

They climb. They wrestle. They eat raw meat. A cast of police cadets tests their mettle on a TV reality show that sorts them out to find one top commander, Sun Ye reports.

When he puts on his armor, Iron Man has all the power. In reality, there is a group of high-performing humans in camouflage uniform who, minus Tony Stark's caprice and quips, have the tasks and physique of a superhero.

Stone-faced and tenacious, they defy terrorists, fight forest fires, rescue the trapped from toppled houses in times of natural disasters, and dash to scenes of danger without fear.

A soldier's life

They are the Chinese Armed Police Force, as dependable in emergencies as they are in skirmishes. They often leave spectators to wonder: How do these steely indestructible types come into being?

Now, there is a reality show that has the answer.

In truth, Soldiers' Sortie, is a survivor's game show. More than 100 participants, who are 20-something cadets from the Armed Police Academy in Chengdu, Sichuan province, go through challenges testing their bodies and psyches. They're competing for the title of "Hidden Dragon", or commander of the camp.

It has all the drama of such contests: Competitors are forced to gulp down raw meat and swilled bread in clocked time; they are ambushed by giant teeth-baring police dogs; they pair off for bare-hand fighting and wrestling matches - and they weep profusely on camera when they are eliminated from the competition.

But it's also a mini course in the making of a CAPF commander. The 14-part show chronicles the making of a qualified soldier, meeting basic standards and training to be a national safeguard.

"All items in the show come from the pool of our curriculum," says Zhang Kexue, the military executive producer of Soldiers' Sortie, who also oversees military training at the academy. "It's the same as how we train at school."

"It shows how our students progress from the bottom to the top of the pyramid of requirements, from physical ability to proper mindset," Zhang adds. "The top crop are those who have nerves."

"The basis is always physical agility," he says, "speed, force, endurance, flexibility and alertness."