In 1882, Sanshirou arrives in Tokyo in search of a worthy martial arts teacher. There, he meets Yano, a judo master who single-handedly defeats 39 jujitsu practitioners. Deeply impressed by his skill, Sanshirou decides to become his disciple. Later, Sanshirou falls for Sayo Murai, a girl whose father is a martial arts instructor at the local police department, and he also has to face Higaki Gennosuke, a skilled jujitsu fighter and his greatest rival. Based on a novel by Tsuneo Tomita, which was adapted into a 1943 movie by young Akira Kurosawa.