A judo champion teaching scared kids to fight isn't the premise, it's watching someone who was born for combat realize she needs to teach others how to stop being afraid of it. The movie works because Yawara doesn't make it seem easy or noble; she just shows up and does the work, one terrified kid at a time. You watch a group of children discover they're stronger than they thought, and you watch Yawara discover what it means to care about something beyond winning. It's a sports movie that's really about the person who's already won learning why that matters.

Yawara meets a group of timid grade school children through Hanazono's cousin, who is one of them. She takes it on herself to help the kids get past their fears and compete in a judo competition. Among them is a girl who seems a lot like Yawara herself. The film is a sports story mixing comedy, drama and a touch of romance, built around judo training and the push toward competition.