Black Belt

A Japanese military detachment arrives at the Shibahara dojo in Japanese-occupied Manchuria and demands it vacate, now under army control. Taikan challenges Captain Tanihara, while Choei tries to intervene, and the confrontation ends with Choei being wounded when a soldier slashes his arm.

In a series of duels, Taikan and Giryu defeat the detachment and drive the soldiers from the dojo. The display reaffirms their strength and commitment to protecting the dojo and its tradition. The victory marks a crucial test of their loyalty to their master's teachings.

After the confrontation, master Eiken Shibahara dies, unable to pass on the black belt to any successor. The three top pupils—Taikan, Giryu, and Choei—must decide who deserves the belt most. The moment sows the seeds for their divergent paths.

With their master's death, Taikan, Giryu, and Choei embark on different paths to understand the master's karate and their own roles. Each pursues a different path in life, confronting corruption and the meaning of tradition. Their choices set the stage for a future reunion.

They bury their master and are forced to leave the dojo to accompany the occupying army. On the road to the camp they are approached by Captain Tanihara's children seeking revenge for their father's suicide after his defeat by Giryu. The moment tests their resolve and loyalty.

During the march, Giryu is stabbed by one of the pursuing gang members as Captain Tanihara’s children target his reputation. Kenta, Hana, and Kenkichi intervene; Giryu is rescued and the group regroups after the attack.

Taikan and Choei end up training new military recruits for the occupying force, reflecting the complex entanglement of tradition and occupation. This evidence of their changing roles contrasts with their initial vow to honor their master's teachings. The tension between duty and personal honor runs through their actions.

At Kenkichi’s home, a gang harasses Hana and plans to sell her into a brothel. Giryu hesitates to fight, but Kenta persuades him to defend the family, reigniting his resolve to use karate to protect the innocent. He tracks the gang to their hideout and prepares for a confrontation.

Taikan departs to face the karate master Takaomi Togo, and they engage in a brutal duel. Taikan delivers a decisive strike and kills Togo, despite Choei's protests, marking a controversial moment that tests their bond and the master's teachings.

Giryu and Kenta rescue Hana and other abducted girls from the gang, and Hana is reunited with her father Kenkichi. The rescue underscores Giryu’s resolve to defend the innocent, even as he remains hunted by the army.

The Imperial Japanese Army declares Giryu a criminal, and General Hidehisa Goda orders his arrest. Choei reprimands Taikan for neglecting Giryu and for killing Togo, highlighting the growing rift among the three students and their evolving code.

Gangs and the army corner Giryu in an open field; Goda threatens to shoot him unless he surrenders. Taikan arrives, knocks Goda out, and challenges Giryu to a final duel that ends with their exhaustion and mutual respect. Taikan apologizes and dies, declaring Giryu the true successor to their master's belt.

In the epilogue, Giryu, with Choei's help, opens his own karate dojo and honors Taikan’s memory by performing kata with him in spirit. The continuation of the master's legacy emphasizes tradition and discipline living on through new generations.