PORTLAND – Christopher Thompson and his brother may draw onlookers when they fight on the street with swords and shields, but they’re among hundreds of people around the world who are trying to re-create Europe’s lost military traditions.

Thompson decided to learn the fighting techniques of Scotland after finding himself unsatisfied in his study of the Asian martial art of jodo, which uses fighting sticks.

“A lot of cultural assumptions were very, very Asian, and I didn’t realize how conflicted that would make me feel,” said Thompson, whose ancestral roots are in Scotland and a mix of other European nations.

Thompson has since taught himself Scottish Gaelic so he could learn the terminology and how to perform the moves from old illustrated manuals. He has spent hundreds of hours deciphering physical movements of the battlefield and reads poems and stories about Scottish soldiers.

He has formed the Cateran Society, named after Highland soldiers, to spread appreciation of Scottish martial arts. He’s also started a Wednesday night class in Portland to teach people to use the broadsword. Eventually, his students will be introduced to a round shield, the dirk, the cudgel and the two-handed sword.

When Thompson practices, children come over and poke around the gear. Neighbors watch from their windows and stop on the sidewalk.

The sight arouses curiosity, but many others are involved in similar activities, according to David Cvet, president and founder of the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts in Toronto.

Cvet’s group has held two convocations on Western martial techniques, the most recent of which attracted 130 people from several countries. He said other groups publish on the Internet or start programs like Thompson’s.

The goal, Cvet said, is to make a connection to the past and integrate these traditions back into Western culture after their long absence.

“This is where the Asian cultures have us beat. They actually have a connection to the past,” Cvet said.