Do you know of a man named Yujiro Hanma?
The Ogre?
Why do you bring up that name?
He deemed the gold medal he himself attained as "worthless,"
threw it in the river, and turned pro.
He swore and cursed at his opponent in an unprecedented performance,
and danced to the front stage of the media limelight.
To top it off, he said he would knock them out. And...
made them all a reality.
Draft evasion, his title stripped, the black civil rights movement,
his miraculous return to the throne.
And again, made a comeback to the throne for a third time.
His countless legends are beyond that of sports.
He's become a living god.
And now, the name of an unthinkable man, from this man's mouth...
Why... do you bring up that name?
YUJIRO HANMA
On January 9th, 1976...
I was in Japan.
The "god" quietly began to tell his story.
I was there to make the fight of a century reality.
A mixed match against the Japanese pro-wrestler, Antonio Igari.
At the time, I thought the performance match would be just for show.
But once I heard it would be a real fight with no holds barred,
I got serious, too.
My training menu was no different than that for a title match.
I did my roadwork in the middle of the night
to avoid the media.
The members were the same as usual.
My strong sparring partners, including one who later became a world champion.
At about ten minutes in...
First, my white partner, John Stander disappeared.
At 15 minutes in...
Jack Lennon disappeared next.
At 20 minutes in...
I realized something was wrong.
The smell of a wild animal filled the air.
We were in the middle of a city,
but I truly feared
that my friends were attacked by a wild beast.
Hey, Champ.
The man that appeared was more than some wild beast.
His appearance was enough for me to know...
that this is the man who made my friends disappear.
I've been wishing to meet you.
His presence was completely unlike that of any of the opponents I'd fought.
Even in the ring, I hardly ever had my guard up.
But for the first time, I raised my guards.
Float like a butterfly...
Sting like a bee!
In 1814, since modern boxing first began to hail in England,
I was the first to implement the no-guard technique in my fighting.
I didn't raise my guards.
No matter what kind of a monster I was up against.
That's how vast the difference was between my opponents and me at the time.
Do you understand now?
The significance of me raising my guards?
This man that appeared in the streets...
That's how threatened I felt by him.
That went in!
A pro boxer like myself could hardly mistake...
that the performance he put on was a far cry from the form of boxing.
Can you even imagine?
The techniques I'd spent my entire life on...
couldn't even touch him.
What do you want?
What are your demands?
Show me.
Your true skill isn't boxing.
In fact...
Your goal never was to become a heavy-weight champion!
What... makes you think that?
It's obvious from your moving in the ring.
That's not boxing.
It's all encompassing, designed to counter all kinds of attacks.
In other words, a martial art.
Renowned trainers from all over the world couldn't even begin to imagine...
My dream...
But you...
You're not even a boxer.
Just an Asian man I met on the streets. But you see through me.
Seems we're about to start the real deal.
You're like a different man now, Champ.
Now, this is martial arts, not boxing.
Punch,
strike,
kick,
grapple,
slam,
catch.
An all-compatible fighting technique.
You could call it...
the Muhammad Alai Mixed Martial Arts!
But...
unfortunately it's unfinished.
Because of your draft evasion, you were stripped of your title.
That three year blank out,
prevented the completion of the Alai mixed martial arts.
What?!
But that's exactly why!
It's because of those three and a half years...
That is why...
world heavy weight champion, Muhammad Alai...
I respect you,
Even though I am obviously weaker than you?
Even though you're obviously weaker than me.
You fought against the system for the underprivileged blacks.
You fought against the nation for the the injured vets.
You fought on behalf of all the weak.
You bring hope to the powerless!
That's nice to hear...
It's nice to hear...
but I feel despondent.
Thanks to your sheer strength, and my own weakness.
I hate to lose, you know.
There's always hopelessness in conflict.
A champion out of prison with 40 cm diameter fists.
He was known as the world's strongest.
A young gold medalist whose rushing power was so great,
he was known as "the man who can't retreat."
He fought until the final round...
even after his jaw was crushed in the second.
It was said his punch could knock out an elephant.
This young and colossal champion,
he too, was known as "the world's strongest."
Racial discrimination... a nation...
Neither are simple enemies.
It's not your fighting technique that's great, it's your soul!
Even with a nation as an opponent, you didn't bend.
It's your soul that's great!
What is your dream?
Power!
How much?
The strongest on planet Earth.
By that, do you mean political power?
No.
I'm not talking about anything as complex as financial or political power.
I'm talking about simple, physical, fighting power,
a country's military power would stand no chance.
Definitive fighting power with only my own five sense as the criteria.
Just the fact...
Just the fact that there is a man before me who truly thinks that way...
is shocking to me.
Please, come meet my son!
GIFU PREFECTURE, HIDA MOUNTAINS
Baki.
Thanks for having us, Ando.
Reichi Ando.
A mountain ranger who lives alone deep in the Hida Mountains,
and a warrior who can kill a black bear with his bare hands.
Baki has known him since he was young.
Baki... you...
I lost a little weight.
Take off your shirt.
The work of poison.
A natural one, right?
A poison from a natural source. And...
There's no hospital cure.
Take a seat there.
Take it easy.
Maybe we can go fishing for some Char.
Stay and rest for as long as you want.
Thank you, Ando.
It's bitter.
Gross.
Baki...
you came too late.
This is my son.
Or rather...
he is my dream.
It's just like you said.
The fighting style I was trying to perfect,
wasn't one that only worked against boxing.
A perfect freestyle.
A punch, kick, or grapple.
A fighting style than can work in any situation.
My defense has very few close-range techniques,
like blocks and ducks.
I use step-backs and sway-backs much more because these two defensive techniques,
can counter not only punches but various other types of attacks as well.
But...
But after your three year blank out because of the draft evasion,
you lost your footwork.
As highlighted in your match in Kinshasa,
your fighting style changed to that of blocking and the rope-a-dope tactic.
It's just as you say.
In the end, the style I was searching for myself, was only an illusion.
Do you find shame in that?
No crying!
I've spread my seed all over the world.
He'll make a good friend for those brats.
That was a good fight.
We made it.
It's been four years.
Peking primitives?
This is Japan.
I made a promise here, that I wouldn't lose to anyone anymore.
But how many times have I lost up until today.
And now...
I'm about to suffer the most serious, biggest defeat of all.
Hey, long time no see.
Have you forgotten, Kozue?
He was a contender in the Maximum Tournament.
Yasha-Zaru Jr.
A mysterious giant ape that's lived in the mountains of Hida since ancient times.
His parents were killed by Yujiro,
but he feels a connection with Baki who has sworn to avenge them.
Huh?
You've got a guest.
Retsu!
Why are you here?
It's because you've worried him.
I'm sorry.
But...
I'm glad to see you.
Baki!
Please leave the rest to me.
Please do what you can.
Wait a second!
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA