Meet the craftsman
Thank you for visiting.
My name is Manuel Gomes, and I’m the craftsman behind every bamboo flute that leaves the KODOAN workshop.
Each instrument is individually selected, handcrafted, tuned, and personally played before it leaves my workshop.
For me, flute making isn’t simply woodworking.
It’s another expression of a path I’ve been walking with curiosity for most of my life.
A Life of Practice
I began studying traditional martial arts in 1976, learning Taekwondo and Judo under Kwan Jang Nim Kim Chan Yong in Southern California. Within a few years, I found myself teaching beginners, and I’ve been teaching in one form or another ever since.
Over the decades, that path naturally expanded into the study of Zen Buddhism, eventually leading me to become an ordained Zen priest in 2002.
Whether in the dojo, the meditation hall, or the workshop, I’ve discovered that patience, careful attention, and steady practice all lead to the same place.
Finding the Flute
My interest in traditional Japanese bamboo flutes grew from that same practice.
When I first encountered traditional Japanese bamboo flutes in 1986, I quickly realized that learning to play them wasn’t enough. I wanted to understand how they were made. Before long, I found myself studying the craft with the same curiosity that had guided my martial arts and Zen practice.
Today I handcraft shakuhachi, yokobue, and other bamboo flutes one at a time from carefully selected bamboo.
Every piece of bamboo has its own personality.
My job is simply to help it find its voice.
More Than an Instrument
People often ask what makes a handmade flute different.
The answer isn’t only the craftsmanship.
It’s the relationship.
When you purchase a flute from KODOAN, you’re buying directly from the person who selected the bamboo, shaped it, tuned it, tested it, and packed it for shipment.
No factories.
No assembly lines.
Just one craftsman and one flute at a time.
Why I Continue
People sometimes ask me why I still make bamboo flutes by hand after all these years.
The answer is simple.
Every piece of bamboo is different.
Every flute teaches me something new.
And every instrument has the potential to bring a moment of quiet into someone else’s life.
For me, that’s reason enough to continue.
Before You Go…
Whether you’re looking for a handmade bamboo flute, exploring Zen, or simply taking a quiet moment away from a busy day…
Thank you for spending a few quiet moments here at KODOAN.
If you leave feeling even a little calmer than when you arrived, then this website has fulfilled its purpose.
I wish you peace,
Manuel Gomes
