Updated

A Tennessee fencing teacher put his sword to good use, foiling a robbery he stumbled upon during a trip to the local shopping center.

Franco Scaramuzza was pulling into the shopping center's parking lot when he saw two men attack a couple with pepper spray and take a purse, WSMV.com reported.

"The first thing that went through my head is somebody should do something, and that's when I got really upset and disappointed with myself, because I realized I had the opportunity to do something. And I didn't want to be a hypocrite who just tweeted about it," Scaramuzza told the station.

The instructor grabbed his épée, jumped out of the car and charged the suspects.

According to WSMV.com, Scaramuzza had just finished practice, so he was still wearing his full fencing attire.

"I charged toward them, holding my épée up high, and, you know, yelling at them," he said. "I kept yelling throughout the entire thing. They completely panicked and dropped everything they stole and really took off."

Police showed up and caught suspects Michael Butt and Zachary Johnson, who are charged with robbery, WSMV.com reported.  They remain in jail on $50,000 bond each.

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