Baki Hanma is reared by his affluent mother, Emi Akezawa, who also sponsors his training in the hopes that he will one day be as powerful as his father, Yujiro Hanma. Baki outgrows traditional training around the beginning of the series and sets out to follow in his brutal father's footsteps, encountering many powerful fighters along the way. Baki eventually confronts his father and is defeated without a fight. Baki goes around the world after being defeated, continuing his training. Years later, he discovers an underground combat ring where he battles some of the most strong warriors from diverse martial arts disciplines. It's here that he really starts honing his martial arts skills. He wants to get bigger and better.