Hokuto Shinken (officially translated as the "God Fist of the North Star", among other names) is the primary fighting style in the series. A martial art which is 18 centuries old, Hokuto Shinken uses the body's 708 vital points to destroy or heal from within. The art can only be passed down from one master to a single student, and thus the dispute between Kenshiro and his adoptive brothers becomes the central plot during the first half of the manga's run.