Martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia became the most famous fighter in all of
China at the turn of the 20th Century. Huo faced personal tragedy but
ultimately fought his way out of darkness and into history, defining the
true spirit of martial arts. His self-discovery, and the choices he made,
inspired his nation. The son of a great fighter who did not wish for his
child to follow in his footsteps, the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach
himself how to fight - and win. Years of training enable him to ace match
after match in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial
arts master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised fight leads to
another master's death, members of Huo's family are slain in revenge.
Grieving and ashamed, Huo wanders the country in shock. Near death, he is
rescued by women from an idyllic village, and is offered simple kindness
and generosity that help him heal and regain his equilibrium over a period
of several years. Huo realizes that the future of martial arts lies in
sportsmanship and not brutality, and he rejoins society to apply what he
has learned. Returning to Tianjin, Huo takes steps to come to terms with
his past and restore his family's name. His evolving, graceful Mizong
(Missing) Fist method of fighting brings Huo renewed success, and he forms
the progressive Jingwu Sports Federation. Taking note, duplicitous members
of the Foreign Chamber of Commerce engineer a Shanghai tournament pitting
Huo against four fighters, each representing the major foreign powers in
China. Huo commits to the bout and faces off against, respectively, a
British boxer, a Spanish swordsman, a Belgian soldier, and a Japanese
martial artist. What happened that day in 1910 has never been, and will
never be, forgotten in China.
When an ill-advised fight destroys the reputation of a renowned martial
arts champion and his family, his difficult path to redemption will bring
him face-to-face with the most ferocious fighters in the world.