Steel swords clash in midair as two fighters gracefully step around each other, evading attacks and planning strikes. Protected only by fencing helmets and padded gloves, they are practicing the same methods used by medieval knights centuries ago.

It may seem like an odd fit inside the walls of the American Freestyle Karate studio in downtown Salem. But nearly every Sunday evening, these men practice a martial art just as intricate -- and lethal -- as its more commonly known Asian counterparts.

Read more: Bound by the sword