In 1882, Sanshirou arrives in Tokyo in search of a worthy martial‑arts teacher. He encounters Yano, a judo master who single‑handedly defeats 39 jujitsu practitioners; impressed by Yano’s skill, Sanshirou becomes his disciple. Later, Sanshirou falls in love with Sayo Murai, whose father is a martial‑arts instructor at the local police department, and he must confront his greatest rival, Higaki Gennosuke, a skilled jujitsu fighter.