故事发生在民国初年，霍家和赵家是当今武林界内的两大巨头，一直在为了谁才是秘宗拳的正宗的问题争得面红耳赤。霍元甲（黄元申 饰）是霍家的四子，人们都不看好从小就体弱多病的他，亦不准备传授他武功，然而，悟性极高的霍元甲居然自行悟出了迷踪拳，并在两家人约定比武的当天使出迷踪拳，打败了对手程天啸，哪知道程天啸受到了巨大的打击，竟然撒手人寰，他的徒弟陈真（梁小龙 饰）为了替师傅报仇，拜了霍元甲为师，伺机而动。 　　一行人来到了天津，武功高强的霍元甲很快就吸引了日本人的注意，遭到了追杀，他们只能带着倩男（米雪 饰）逃往北京，设立了精武门。

民國初年，軍閥混亂，列強侵占，山河破碎，民不聊生。霍元甲眼見中國內憂外患之際滿目瘡痍，決心練武強身救國，開辦「精武館」並創衍出一套精妙的拳術「迷蹤拳」，讓外國武者聞風喪膽，洗刷列強給中國人枉加的「東亞病夫」的恥辱，顯示出了中華民族的凜然正氣。後由於當權者的腐敗懦弱，一代宗師竟被列強走狗、民族敗類下毒身亡，譜成一部可歌可泣的民族正氣詩篇。

The story takes place in the early years of the Republic of China. The Huo family and the Zhao family are the two giants in the martial arts world today. They have been fighting over who is the authentic secret boxer. Huo Yuanjia is the fourth son of the Huo family. People are not optimistic about him because he has been frail and sick since he was a child, and they are not prepared to teach him martial arts. However, Huo Yuanjia, who is extremely perceptive, actually realized the Mizong Fist on his own. On the day when the two families agreed to compete, He used the Mizong Fist and defeated his opponent Cheng Tianxiao. Unexpectedly, Cheng Tianxiao suffered a huge blow and passed away. His apprentice Chen Zhen worshiped Huo Yuanjia as his master. A group of people came to Tianjin. Huo Yuanjia, who was highly skilled in martial arts, quickly attracted the attention of the Japanese and was hunted down. They could only take Qiannan to flee to Beijing and set up the Jingwu Sect.