A Kung Fu teacher has entered the race for the Rome mayor post on the ticket of Genoese anti-establishment comic Beppe Grillo.

Grillo supporters will take to Rome squares this weekend in order to collect the 2,000 signatures required to take Serenetta Monti's candidacy to the next level.

"I don't know if we'll get anywhere with this list, but I know we have already caused a headache for this rotten system and I'm happy about that," said Monti on her website. Monti would be Rome's first female mayor in the unlikely event of victory.

Another new entry to the race is Franco Grillini of the Partito Socialista, honorary president of gay rights group Arcigay. He joins the other outside candidate, Willer Bordon of Unione Democratica per I Consumatori, on the left.

On the right and centre-right, the outside candidates are Francesco Storace for La Destra, Luciano Ciocchetti for the Unione dei Democratici Cristiani and Raffaele D