In 1959, Mao Zedong had imposed a ban on the sport of boxing in China considering it "too Western and brutal".

The film is about Qi Moxiang, a boxing coach who, alongside Zhao Zhong, the boxing program director, goes to rural China to recruit from ordinary peasant hopefuls to be trained for a possible sporting and Olympic career.

The documentary shows his visit to Huili County in the southwestern Sichuan province, and documents the young athletes chosen there.

[1] The film concentrates on two of the boys: Miao Yunfei and He Zhongli whom coach Qi has brought to the Chinese provincial finals.

In addition, to provide a role model for his students, Qi decides to fight professionally again against a much younger rival from Japan.