Patrick Thimangu
Patrick L. Thimangu is the owner and master instructor of Arch Taekwondo. He opened the St. Louis-based school in 2009 after working as a journalist for nearly 15 years. Thimangu is internationally certified as a 6th Degree Taekwondo blackbelt by the Kukkiwon in Seoul, S. Korea, one of only 900 Americans currently holding that Kukkiwon rank. He has about 35 years of experience in taekwondo and is also a 2nd Class Kukkiwon International Master Instructor, a teaching designation held by few outside S. Korea. Thimangu, a native of Kenya, came to the United States in 1990 for university education and earned a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications-Journalism from Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Ill., and a master’s degree in Communications and Training-Media Communications from Governors State University. He began his journalism career at The Daily Journal-Kankakee. In 1998, Thimangu moved from Kankakee and briefly lived in Indianapolis, where he worked as an Associated Press newsman. The following year he relocated to Ohio and reported for three years at the Dayton Business Journal. Thimangu and his wife Rachel moved to Missouri in 2002, to both initially work as reporters for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thimangu moved on to cover several beats at the St. Louis Business Journal until early 2009. The Thimangus live in unincorporated St. Louis County with their children Benjie and Eva, and their cat Jack. They are members of the Central Reform Congregation and Patrick and Rachel serve on its board of directors.
