はじめの一歩 | Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit! | 더 파이팅 | 第一神拳 | Ippo | Fight!! Ippo | Первый шаг! | ก้าวแรกสู่สังเวียน | Hajime no Ippo Gaiden - Naniwa no Tora | Hajime no Ippo | Fighting Spirit | The Fighting! | Espiritu de Lucha | Spirit of Fight | Haxime no Ippo | Hajime no Ippo (Official Colored)

Hajime no Ippo (はじめの一歩; lit. 'The First Step') is a Japanese boxing-themed manga series written and illustrated by George Morikawa. It has been serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine since October 1989, with its chapters collected in 145 tankōbon volumes as of January 2026. It follows the story of high school student Ippo Makunouchi, as he begins his career in boxing and, over time, obtains many titles and defeats various opponents.

Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn't get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school, Ippo's life is one of hardship. One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo's life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura's footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo's path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning.