ROME — The historic Foro Italico complex has transformed into a sprawling, dual-level arena for global taekwondo this weekend, running Europe’s largest youth martial arts tournament concurrently with an elite international Grand Prix. The Kim and Liù tournament has drawn a formidable field of approximately 2,000 children between the ages of 6 and 11 from across Europe. Named after two fictional characters from an educational comic book created nearly two decades ago by the Italian Taekwondo Federation, the event operates as an immersive youth sports festival, blending the intensity of technical form competitions and age-bracketed sparring with foundational educational activities. Far more than just a grassroots festival, the tournament has long served as the essential incubator for Italy’s national team. It was at previous Kim and Liù events that current titans of the sport — including Olympic medalist Vito Dell’Aquila and world champion Simone Alessio — took their very first competitive steps. Operating under the bold theme “Taekwondo to the Future!” this year’s edition pus
