History

Rohai originated in the Tomari-te school and was possibly created by Kosaku Matsumora. Anko Itosu developed three versions of the kata, Rohai shodan, nidan and sandan. Shotokan's Meikyo contains elements of all three of these (Funakoshi himself can be seen performing this kata in a rare film of 1932), and while some believe it could be an older Rohai (Gusukuma Rohai), it could also be a synthesis created by Master Funakoshi himself. ~ GE