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{{Short description|Technique of using two weapons, one in each hand, for training or combat}}
{{unreferenced|date = February 2007}}
[[File:Mongolian Armed Forces 100711-A-CE583-114.jpg|thumb|250px|Mongolian soldiers dual wielding knives during skills display]]
[[Image:Maxpayne.PNG||thumbnail|150px|A famous video game example of dual wielding - ''[[Max Payne]]'']]
'''Dual wielding''' is the technique of using two [[weapon]]s, one in each hand, for [[training]] or [[combat]]. It is not a common combat practice. Although historical records of dual wielding in [[war]] are limited, there are numerous [[Martial arts#Variation and scope|weapon-based martial arts]] that involve the use of a pair of weapons. The use of a [[companion weapon]] is sometimes employed in [[European martial arts]] and fencing, such as a [[parrying dagger]]. [[Miyamoto Musashi]], a [[Japan]]ese swordsman and ''[[ronin]]'', was said to have conceived of the idea of a particular style of swordsmanship involving the use of two swords.
In [[Games|gaming]], '''dual wield''' is holding a [[weapon]] in each hand. Dual wield may be called '''akimbo'''. This most commonly refers to matched pairs of [[handgun]]s (many [[first person shooter]]s have such weapons as "[[Beretta]]s akimbo" or "[[pistol]]s akimbo") but can refer to any other weapon that can be held in one hand such as [[machine pistol]]s (for example "akimbo [[MAC-10]]s") and even melee weapons (e.g. [[katana]]s or [[lightsaber]]s), although this is more common in [[computer role-playing game|role-playing games]], where it is usually termed '''dual wielding'''. The term is largely slang now and has little to no consistency of what the term originally meant.


In terms of [[firearm]]s, especially [[handgun]]s, dual wielding is generally denounced by firearm enthusiasts due to its impracticality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlN_4MMTdPs|title = Why Dual Wielding Doesn't Work in Real Life|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref> Though using two handguns at the same time confers an advantage by allowing more ready ammunition, it is rarely done due to other aspects of weapons handling.
== Historical development ==
=== In real life ===


Dual wielding, both with melee and ranged weapons, has been popularized by fictional works ([[film]], [[television]], and [[video games]]).
Historically, the use of two guns at once, one in each hand, originated in the [[American Old West]], where relatively inaccurate [[revolver]]s holding only six rounds of ammunition were the highest capacity handguns available and reloading was a slow, shell-by-shell process. Being single action weapons, they needed to be cocked for each shot, so the [[rate of fire]] was also low, and while a shooter could [[fanning|fan]] his gun, this expended all his shots even faster and made him even more inaccurate than normal. Use of two guns was therefore a reasonable compromise, as this allowed one gun to be cocked as the other is being fired, in practical terms doubling the rate of fire and the available number of bullets.


==History==
A possible example of actual use of two guns firing at the same time is "[[Macedonian Shooting]]", practiced by Russian special forces.<ref name="MacS">{{cite web|url=http://www.woin.ru/pages/magazine/speznaz/2_2001/19-22.htm|title=''Macedonian Duel''|accessdate=2007-02-24|publisher=''Center "Zdorovye Naroda"''|date=February 2001|language=Russian|first=Nikolay|last=Simonov}}</ref> This also evolved as a method of increasing rate of fire, more in order to force the enemy to take cover than to try to accurately hit them, and was generally practiced by [[NKVD]] officers issued a pair of revolvers. However, the invention of smaller, cheaper submachineguns around the 1950s rendered the tactic largely obsolete and it fell into relative obscurity.
[[File:dual wielding.jpg|alt=A young boy in a black vest over a white shirt and a black hat raises a pistol high in his right hand and lets another hang from his left hand.|thumb|An urban proletariat boy dual wields pistols in Eugène Delacroix's painting [[Liberty Leading the People|''La Liberté guidant le peuple'']].]]
Dual wielding has not been used or mentioned much in military history, though it appears in [[Martial arts#Variation and scope|weapon-based martial arts]] and [[fencing]] practices.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r0PCAgAAQBAJ|title=Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century|last=Castle|first=Egerton|date=2012-06-19|publisher=Courier Corporation|isbn=9780486138756|page=51|language=en}}</ref>


The [[dimachaerus]] was a type of Roman [[gladiator]] that fought with two [[sword]]s.<ref>The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome: Gladiators and Caesars, ed. by Eckart Köhne and Cornelia Ewigleben (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2000), p. 63. {{ISBN|978-0-520-22798-9}}</ref> Thus, an inscription from Lyon, France, mentions such a type of gladiator, here spelled ''dymacherus''.<ref>{{CIL|13|1997}}</ref> The dimachaeri were equipped for close-combat fighting.<ref name=nossov>{{cite book|last=Nossov|first=Konstantin|title=Gladiator: Rome's bloody spectacle|year=2009|publisher=Osprey|isbn=978-1-84603-472-5|pages=208}}</ref> A dimachaerus used a pair of [[Sica|siccae]] (curved scimitar) or [[gladius]] and used a fighting style adapted to both attack and defend with his weapons rather than a shield, as he was not equipped with one.<ref name=nossov /><ref name="Junkelmann63">Marcus Junkelmann, 'Familia Gladiatoria: "The Heroes of the Amphitheatre"' in The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome: Gladiators and Caesars, ed. by Eckart Köhne and Cornelia Ewigleben (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2000), p. 63. {{ISBN|978-0-520-22798-9}}</ref>


The use of weapon combinations in each hand has been mentioned for close combat in western Europe during the [[Byzantine]],<ref name="Byzantine">{{cite book|author=Tim Dawson PhD|title=Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire C.900-1204|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O14p5hPv8wAC|date=2010|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84603-105-2|page=48}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Medieval]], and [[Renaissance era]].<ref name="ShacklefordSpiritofSword">{{cite book|author=Steve Shackleford|title=Spirit Of The Sword: A Celebration of Artistry and Craftsmanship|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pkLaMKl09L8C|access-date=12 June 2013|date=7 September 2010|publisher=Adams Media|isbn=978-1-4402-1638-1|page=48}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The use of a [[parrying dagger]] such as a main gauche along with a [[rapier]] is common in historical European martial arts.<ref name="Oxford Medieval warfare">{{cite book|author=Clifford Rogers|title=The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mzwpq6bLHhMC|access-date=12 June 2013|date=June 2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-533403-6|page=240}}</ref>
=== Integration into media ===


North American Indian tribes of the Atlantic northeast used a form involving a [[tomahawk]] in the primary hand and a [[knife]] in the secondary. It is practiced today as part of the modern Cree martial art [[Okichitaw]].
Use of this tactic was naturally reflected in [[Western (genre)|Western films]]. Later this twin pistol tactic has been integrated into other films, although most filmmakers picked up on its stylish aspect rather than its practical purpose. Most famously, [[Hong Kong action cinema]] is known for use of twin pistols to contribute to a more balletic and stylized form of gun combat - referred as [[gun fu]] - than contemporary Western films, and it is from this source that modern US [[action films]] have integrated akimbo guns as a stylistic institution.


All the above-mentioned examples, involve either one long and one short weapon, or two short weapons. An example of a dual wield of two sabres is the Ukrainian cossack dance [[hopak]].
Naturally, action films have been a major influence on [[action game|action gaming]]. ''[[Rise of the Triad]]'' and ''[[Marathon (computer game)|Marathon]]'', both released on December 21, [[1994 in video gaming|1994]], were the earliest [[first-person shooters]] to integrate akimbo pistols. In ''[[Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²]]'', this tactic has been developed further, now allowing the player to wield two different weapons at once, firing each one independently.


=== Etymology ===
=== Asia ===
During the campaign [[Early Muslim conquests|Muslim conquest]] in 6th to 7th century AD, a [[Rashidun caliphate]] general named [[Khalid ibn Walid]] was reported to favor wielding two broad swords, with one in each hand, during combat.<ref name="The Sword of Allah: Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns">{{cite book |last=Agha |first=Ibrahim Akram |year=2006 |title=The Sword of Allah: Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns |publisher=Adam Publishers & Distributors, India |isbn=978-81-7435-467-9}}</ref>


Traditional schools of [[Japanese martial arts]] include dual wield techniques, particularly a style conceived by [[Miyamoto Musashi]] involving the [[katana]] and [[wakizashi]], two-sword [[kenjutsu]] techniques he called ''[[Niten Ichi-ryū]]''.
There is some confusion over the origin of this usage of the word ''[[akimbo]]''. Technically, it is inaccurate, since the word literally refers to a stance where a person stands with their elbows bent and their hands on their hips - not a posture well suited to shooting. While this does bear some similarity with the classic posture of [[cowboy]]s firing their twin revolvers from the hip, in games this posture is almost never reflected, with almost all game characters firing twin guns at shoulder level, straight-armed. ''[[Counter-Strike]]'' is a notable exception, in that the player models are seen externally to fire akimbo Berettas from the hip, but appear to be firing from shoulder level from the first-person perspective. Also interesting is that there is no consensus on whether the word should precede or follow the name of the object it describes: "akimbo pistols" is generally just as acceptable in usage as "pistols akimbo".


[[Eskrima]], the traditional martial arts of the Philippines teaches ''Doble Baston'' techniques involving the basic use of a pair of [[rattan sticks]] and also Espada y daga or Sword/Stick and Dagger. [[Okinawan martial arts]] have a method that uses a pair of [[Sai (weapon)|''sai'']].
The book ''Hong Kong Action Cinema (ISBN 0-87951-663-1)'' by [[Bey Logan]] suggests the word originated in [[Hong Kong]] action movies and eventually migrated to the gaming lexicon.


[[Chinese martial arts]] involve the use of a pair of [[butterfly sword]]s and [[hook sword]]s.
Another possible origin is from the [[1997 in video gaming|1997]] game ''[[Blood (computer game)|Blood]]'', which included a power-up called "guns akimbo", allowing the player to temporarily use two of a number of weapons usually restricted to single usage.


Famed for his enormous strength, [[Dian Wei]], a military general serving under the warlord [[Cao Cao]] in the late [[Eastern Han dynasty]] of China, excelled at wielding a pair of ''[[Ji (halberd)|ji]]'' (a [[halberd]]-like weapon), each of which was said to weigh 40 ''[[Catty|jin]]''.
Also worthy of consideration is the possibility that the phrase predates both of these and refers instead to [[Cowboy action shooting]] techniques.


[[Chen An]], a warlord who lived during the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)]] and [[Sixteen Kingdoms]] period, wielded a sword and a serpent spear in each hand, supposedly measuring at 7 ''[[Chi (unit)|chi]]'' and 1 ''[[Zhàng|zhang]]'' 8 ''chi'' respectively.
== Implementation ==


During [[Wei–Jie war|Ran Wei–Later Zhao war]], [[Ran Min]], emperor of the short-lived Ran Wei empire of China, wielded two weapons, one in each hand, and fought fiercely, inflicting many casualties on the Xianbei soldiers while mounted on the famous horse Zhu Long ("Red Dragon").
In practical terms akimbo guns have a number of advantages:


[[Gatka]], a weapon-based martial art from the [[Punjab region]], is known to use two sticks at a time.
* an easy and practical upgrade using weapons salvaged from the surroundings;
* an entirely analogue rate of fire allowing any speed from single shots to virtually submachinegun rates of fire;
* a doubling of available ammunition before reloading is necessary (see below);
* the ability to target two enemies at once;
* the ability to shoot in two directions at once;
* the ability to use two weapon types at once.


The Thailand weapon-based martial art [[Krabi Krabong]] involves the use of a separate [[Krabi (sword)|''Krabi'']] in each hand.
However, akimbo weapons in games also cause a number of unique problems in terms of [[interface (computer science)|interface]] and control, which usually limit their representation of these characteristics when implemented in-game. Unlike any other weapon in games, both hands are independently used at once, but the control setup of most games allows either a single fire key or a fire key plus an alternate fire key, usually operated by the same finger. The earliest implementations of akimbo weapons in games, such as ''[[Rise of the Triad]]'' and ''[[Blood]]'' simply fired both weapons at once when the fire key was pressed. However this is different from its presentation in films, which is usually by alternating shots from the right and left guns. Before long, it became more common to have the fire key fire each gun alternately, as in ''[[F.E.A.R.]]'' and ''[[Counter-Strike]]''. An expansion for ''[[Aliens versus Predator (computer game)|Aliens vs. Predator]]'' allowed two pistols to be used both alternately for a higher rate of fire and both at once for more damage.


[[Kalaripayattu]] teaches advanced students to use either two sticks (of various sizes) or two daggers or two swords, simultaneously.
Some games, such as the early ''[[Marathon (computer game)|Marathon]]'', ''[[Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²]]'', and ''[[The Specialists]]'' [[mod (computer gaming)|mod]], have gone on to implement a system of independent triggers for each gun, in order to allow the player to use them as necessary, firing simultaneously or alternately as they wish. However this can be somewhat counterintuitive for PC gamers, usually playing with the [[mouse (computing)|mouse]] in one hand for aiming and firing and the [[computer keyboard|keyboard]] in the other hand to control movement. Use of the left and right mouse buttons as left and right triggers is the usual solution, but this is done exclusively by the mouse hand and usually assigns the left mouse button, usually used for primary fire of weapons held in the right hand, to the left gun and the right button to the right gun. This therefore can feel a little odd, and often results in the left gun being prematurely empty. Hence PC games rarely implement a form of akimbo that actually contributes to game play.


=== Modern ===
Modern console games can escape this to a certain extent by using the shoulder buttons as analogous to left and right triggers. While PC games, especially first person shooter games, rely on the mouse for manual aiming of both guns together, console games usually compensate for the difficulty of quickly and precisely aiming with the analogue stick by employing a lock-on or [[auto-aim]] function, thus making possible a practical method of targeting and firing at more than one enemy at once, but this remains uncommon. ''[[Nocturne (PC game)|Nocturne]]'', ''[[BloodRayne]]'', ''Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.²'' and ''[[Devil May Cry 3]]'' are among the few to implement it. First-person shooter games have yet to establish a practical method of implementing two-directional aiming.
The use of a gun in each hand is often associated with the [[American Old West]], mainly due to media portrayals. It was common for people in the era to carry two guns, but not to use them at the same time, as shown in movies. The second gun served as a backup weapon, to be used only if the main one suffered a malfunction or was lost or emptied.<ref name="OldwestFactorFilm">{{cite book|author=Jeremy Agnew | title=The Old West in Fact and Film: History Versus Hollywood | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R_mRcTRYcvsC | access-date=12 June 2013 | year=2012 | publisher=McFarland | isbn=978-0-7864-9311-1 | page=170}}</ref>


However, there were several examples of gunmen in the West who actually used two pistols at the same time in their gunfights:
Lately a western themed PC game ''[[Call of Juarez]]'' used a good example to two-directional aiming. In ''[[Call of Juarez]]'' the protagonist triggers a slow-motion mode which cause two different crosshairs scan horizontally from far sides to the center of the screen. You shoot for each pistol when crosshairs pass on enemies. While this automated aiming it is possible to do an independent global aiming too. Combine of global aiming and horizontal aiming it is possible to make a "clean shot" for each enemy on the screen without using the classic auto-aim.
* [[John Wesley Hardin]] killed a gunman named Benjamin Bradley who shot at him, by drawing both of his pistols and firing back.<ref>Hardin, John Wesley (1896). The Life of John Wesley Hardin: As Written By Himself. Seguin, Texas: Smith & Moore. p. 20. {{ISBN|978-0-8061-1051-6}}. Retrieved March 30, 2011.</ref>
* The Mexican vaquero [[Augustine Chacon]] had several gunfights in which he was outnumbered by more than one gunman and prevailed by equipping himself with a revolver in each hand.<ref>Wilson, R. Michael (2005). Legal Executions in the Western Territories, 1847-1911: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. McFarland. pp. 43-44. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-4825-8}}</ref>
* [[King Fisher]] once managed to kill three bandits in a shootout by pulling both of his pistols.<ref name="ccchaney.com">[http://www.ccchaney.com/Genealogy/maternal/Damron/FisherJohnKing/kingfisher.html Texas Gunslinger, Outlaw and Lawman].</ref>
* During the infamous [[Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight]], lawman [[Dallas Stoudenmire]] pulled both of his pistols as he ran out onto the street and killed one bystander and two other gunmen.<ref>Metz, Leon Claire. 1979. Dallas Stoudenmire: El Paso Marshal. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. 162 p.</ref>
* [[Jonathan R. Davis]], a prospector during the [[California Gold Rush]], was ambushed by thirteen outlaws while together with two of his comrades. One of his friends was killed and the other was mortally wounded during the ambush. Davis drew both of his revolvers and fired, killing seven of the bandits, and killing four more with his bowie knife, causing the final two to flee.<ref>[http://www.jcs-group.com/oldwest/pistoleer/davis.html The Spell of the West: Captain Jonathan R. Davis.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113433/http://www.jcs-group.com/oldwest/pistoleer/davis.html |date=2016-03-04 }} Retrieved: 2012-10-31.</ref>


[[File:Alison Carroll 20080927 Festival du jeu video 02.jpg|thumb|Model dressed as [[Lara Croft]] dual wielding pistols]]
Coding limitations can also harm the implementation of akimbo guns in games. In some games such as ''[[Action Half-Life]]'' and ''F.E.A.R.'' are logical in their implementation: a player picks up a pistol, which functions perfectly well independently, then he or she picks up another one and can use both at once; later, the player can discard them both, having run out of [[ammunition]] and must appropriate two more for further akimbo. This approach is usually used by more realistic games. However, some games, for example ''Counter-Strike'' or ''[[Return to Castle Wolfenstein]]'' treat akimbo guns as a single weapon; the player must always carry, use and discard them both at once, and cannot use other weapons akimbo. Other games such as ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' have a faux-akimbo system, in that a player always has one of the starting weapons, can pick up another and use both at once, but is then unable to drop either; this is significant in multiplayer, as it becomes harder to acquire akimbo weapons if they are not easily looted from bodies of foes. Games of this sort are usually more [[arcade game|arcade]]-style in play.
Dual wielding two handguns has been popularized by film and television.<ref name="GunDigestGuide2010">{{cite book|author=Jerry Ahern|title=Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed-Carry Handguns|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ulWbH-4xtd8C|access-date=12 June 2013|date=5 October 2010|publisher=F+W Media, Inc|isbn=978-1-4402-1767-8|pages=135–137|chapter=18}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


==Effectiveness==
=== Reloading issues ===
''[[MythBusters]]'' compared many firing stances, including having a gun in each hand, and found that, compared to the two-handed single-gun stance as a benchmark, only the one-handed shoulder-level stance with a single gun was comparable in terms of accuracy and speed. The ability to look down the sights of the gun was given as the main reason for this.<ref name="Myth">{{cite episode |title=Wheel of Mythfortune |series=MythBusters |date=November 23, 2011 |network=[[Discovery Channel]] |season=2011 |number=177 |first1=Adam |first2=Jamie |last1=Savage |last2=Hyneman}}</ref> In an episode the following year, they compared holding two guns and firing simultaneously—rather than alternating left and right shots—with holding one gun in the two-handed stance, and found that the results were in favor of using two guns and firing simultaneously.<ref name=MythBusters>{{cite web|title=Hollywood gunslingers|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/hollywood-gunslingers.htm|publisher=Mythbusters - Discovery|access-date=13 June 2013}}</ref>


==In media==
[[Reloading]] while holding one gun in each hand is significantly more complex than reloading a single weapon. Earlier games made no attempt to represent reloading at all, rendering it a moot point, and more arcade-style games still do not. ''[[GoldenEye 007]]'', for example, did not feature reloading animations for either single or akimbo guns; the weapons were simply lowered off the bottom of the screen, out of sight, a clicking sound effect was heard, and the weapons were raised into view again, refilled, with the implication being that reloading had occurred off screen. (For that matter, ''Goldeneye'' also did not address the issue of being able to hold and fire two heavy [[rocket propelled grenade]] launchers at the same time). Every weapon, from the handguns to the grenade launcher, took exactly the same amount of time to reload. ''GoldenEye'''s successor ''[[Perfect Dark]]'' featured full reloading animations when a single weapon was held, but for akimbo reloading it retained the simplified technique used for all reloads in ''GoldenEye''.
* The ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' features dual wielding being done by [[Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)|Leonardo]] with two [[katana]] [[sword]]s, [[Raphael (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)|Raphael]] with two [[Sai (weapon)|sai]]s, and [[Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)|Michelangelo]] with two [[nunchaku|nunchucks]]. Sometimes, their arch enemy known as [[the Shredder]] dual wields with many weapons.
* ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'' features Lady Eboshi dual wielding with a katana sword and a hairpin.
* The [[Marvel Comics]] features dual wielding being done by [[Deadpool]] with two katana swords, [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]] with two [[sabre]]s, [[Elektra: Assassin|Elektra]] with two sais, and [[Black Widow (Marvel Comics)|Black Widow]] with two [[pistol]]s and two [[Baton (law enforcement)|baton]]s.
* The [[DC Comics]] features [[Dick Grayson]] and [[Barbara Gordon]] dual wielding two [[baston (weapon)|bastons]].
* The ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise features many characters dual wielding two [[lightsaber]]s or more including [[Anakin Skywalker]], [[Ahsoka Tano]], and [[General Grievous]]. ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)|Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'' features [[Palpatine]] and his former apprentice, [[Darth Maul]], dual wielding two lightsabers each. Also, characters dual wielding two [[Blaster (Star Wars)|blaster pistols]] include [[Jango Fett]] and [[Bo-Katan Kryze]].
* The [[Halo (franchise)|''Halo'' franchise]] allows dual-wielding weapons from ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]'' onwards.
* ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'' features the noble [[centaur]] [[general]] [[List of The Chronicles of Narnia characters#Adaptations|Oreius]] dual wielding two [[longsword]]s, and also the oppressive [[White Witch]] doing the same. It also features the [[Minotaur]] general [[List of The Chronicles of Narnia characters#Adaptations|Otmin]] dual wielding a [[falchion]] sword and a [[battle axe]].
* ''[[Ip Man 3]]'' features [[butterfly sword]]s being dual wielded by [[Ip Man]] and [[Cheung Tin-chi]].
* ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' features the virtuous [[Wizards in Middle-earth|wizard]] [[Gandalf]] dual wielding a magic [[Staff weapon|staff]] and a mystic longsword.
* ''[[The Mummy Returns]]'' features the adventurous [[Egyptologist]] ''[[List of The Mummy (film series) characters#Evelyn Carnahan|Evelyn O'Connell]] and the treacherous [[List of The Mummy (film series) characters#Anck-su-namun|Anck-su-namun]] dual wielding two sais.
* The ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' features characters dual wielding two swords including [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Will Turner]], and [[Elizabeth Swann]].
* The [[martial arts]] movie ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' features [[Michelle Yeoh]] as Yu Shu Lien dual wielding with a [[Dao (Chinese sword)|dao]] sword which split to two, and then with two [[hook sword]]s.
* ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' features many characters dual fighting with [[rapier]]s and [[dagger]]s.
* ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' features [[Tommy Oliver]] dual wielding a sword and a dagger.
* ''[[Robin of Sherwood]]'' features Nasir, a [[Saracen]] [[assassin]] who dual wields two [[scimitars]].
* ''[[Avatar: The Legend of Aang]]'' features dual wielding done by [[Zuko]] with two dao swords, Jet with two hook swords, [[List of Avatar: The Last Airbender characters#Suki|Suki]] with two [[war fan]]s, and [[Sokka]] with a [[machete]] along a [[Club (weapon)|club]] or a [[boomerang]].
* The ''[[Transformers]]'' features dual wielding being done by many characters including [[Optimus Prime]] and [[Optimus Primal]] with two swords.
* ''[[Kung Fu Hustle]]'' features [[iron rings]] being dual wielded by the humble [[tailor]] of Pigsty Alley.
* ''[[Power Rangers: Jungle Fury]]'' features dual wielding being done by [[List of Power Rangers Jungle Fury characters#Casey Rhodes|Casey Rhodes]] with two nunchakus and also two dao-themed Shark Sabres, [[List of Power Rangers Jungle Fury characters#Theo Martin|Theo Martin]] with two [[tonfa]]s and then two tessan-themed Jungle Fans, and [[List of Power Rangers Jungle Fury characters#Camille|Camille]] with two sais.
* In the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] martial arts film ''[[Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]'' features [[Features of the Marvel Cinematic Universe#Ten Rings|the Ten Rings]] be dual wielded by [[Wenwu]], the MCU version of the [[Mandarin (character)|Mandarin]], and then by [[Shang Chi (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Shang Chi]], his son.
* The musical version of ''[[The Lion King (musical)|The Lion King]]'' features [[List of The Lion King (franchise) characters#Mufasa|Mufasa]] and his son [[Simba]] dual wielding two [[akrafena]] swords to fight.
* [[Lara Croft]], the heroine of the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' franchise, dual wields two pistols.
* [[Dante (Devil May Cry)|Dante]], the protagonist of the ''[[Devil May Cry]]'' series, dual wields two pistols, named Ebony and Ivory.
* [[Kirito (Sword Art Online)|Kirito]], the protagonist of ''[[Sword Art Online]]'', is famous for being able to wield two swords of a similar length at the same time.


==See also==
However, more and more games are released with onscreen akimbo reloading animations; nowadays it is [[de rigueur]]. For example, in ''Counter-Strike'', one of the first games to show the full process of reloading akimbo guns onscreen, the first-person player model is shown inserting new magazines one at a time in the akimbo [[Beretta]]s with a flamboyant spinning motion reminiscent of Western [[gunslinger]]s. The akimbo [[M1911 Colt pistol|Colt 1911]]s in ''The Specialists'' are reloaded by ejecting the magazines of both guns, then putting one in the same hand as the other and inserting two magazines into the guns at once using the free hand, a technique inspired, like the guns themselves, by the film ''[[Face/Off]]''. Other options shown in games are to reload by gripping new magazines between thumb and middle finger while still holding the gun, then pushing them into the opposite gun with the side of the grip, or holding each gun in turn in the armpit, freeing the hand to insert a new magazine. The Needler, a biomechanical gun that can be akimbo-wielded in ''[[Halo 2]]'', reloads using a somewhat uncertain procedure, with onscreen animations showing the protagonist shaking the gun and crystalline spines on the weapon lengthening. Another form of reloading, shown in the game ''[[Killer7]]'', consists of quickly inserting new magazines using knees and feet, as demonstrated by the character [[Con Smith]].
* [[Ambidexterity]]

* [[Cross-dominance]]
Other, less down-to-earth techniques include ejecting the [[magazine (firearm)|magazine]]s, then pointing the gun down and letting new magazines, concealed in the sleeves of the wielder, to slide down into place. In [[sci-fi]] settings, this reloading technique can be updated via special [[gadget]]s hidden in one's sleeves, which automatically reload both guns when triggered, such as those used in the movie ''[[Equilibrium (2002 film)|Equilibrium]]'' where the protagonist [[John Preston (character)|John Preston]] uses this technique, as well as a somewhat dubious method of reloading that involves throwing specially weighted magazine across the floor. The weights force the magazine into an upright position, allowing the character to dive toward them and reload by slamming empty guns down onto the magazines.
* [[Dimachaerus]]

Other films feature protagonists who secure new magazines to their holsters in such a way to allow the gunner to slap the empty gun down onto the fresh magazine. [[Lara Croft]], the protagonist of the [[2001 in film|2001]] movie ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]]'', uses this method, as well as a similar mechanism in her backpack.

The other alternative when weapons run out of ammunition is shown in the [[1998 in film|1998]] action movie ''[[The Replacement Killers]]'' and in the [[1999 in film|1999]] cult action movie ''[[The Matrix]]'', where the protagonist simply drops empty guns and either produces a new pair from under his coat or, failing that, appropriates one from a fallen enemy. This is known as the "[[New York reload]]".

== Examples ==

In [[role-playing game]]s (especially [[computer role-playing game|computer RPGs]]), holding two weapons with one in each hand is usually called '''dual wielding'''. It should also be noted that since many RPGs are set in [[high fantasy]] worlds, "dual wielding" often refers not only to [[ranged weapon]]s, but also to the [[mêlée weapon|mêlée one]]s. Notable CRPGs that allow dual wielding:

* [[Anarchy Online]]
* [[Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn]]
* [[Dark Age of Camelot]]
* [[Diablo II]]
* [[Everquest II]]
* [[Final Fantasy XI]]
* [[Knights of the Old Republic]]
* [[Neverwinter Nights]]
* [[Phantasy Star Universe]]
* [[Ragnarok Online]]
* [[World Of Warcraft]]

In [[shooter game]]s, ''Akimbo'' refers to wielding one weapon in each hand. Notable shooter games that allow akimbo:

<!-- Please, do not post EVERY shooter game that allows akimbo here - there are TONS of them, you know. Judge by their significance of the genre (a game must be really "notable" to be on the list). And please, post the titles in alphabetical order. Another advice: don't add comments like "pistols only" in brackets, since akimbo is usually applied to handguns. -->
* [[Action Quake 2]] (a [[mod (computer gaming)|mod]] for ''[[Quake II]]'') and [[Action Half Life]] (a similar mod for [[Half-Life]])
* [[Blood II: The Chosen]]
* [[BloodRayne]]
* [[Call of Juarez]]
* [[Counter-Strike]] and [[Counter-Strike Source]]
* [[Enter The Matrix]] (nearly every handgun in the game and some [[machine pistol]]s, e.g. [[MAC-10]] and [[Glock 18]])
* [[Far Cry Instincts]]
* [[F.E.A.R]]
* [[GoldenEye: Rogue Agent]] (similar to ''Halo 2'')
* [[GoldenEye 007]] (almost every gun, from pistols to [[Shoulder-launched missile weapon|rocket launcher]]s, but heavier akimbo weapons are usually accessed with [[Cheat code|cheats]])
* [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] (4 weapons can be dual wielded when the ''weapon skill'' reaches its maximum, including the [[sawn-off shotgun]])
* [[The Specialists]] (a mod for ''[[Half-Life]]'')
* [[Halo 2]]
* [[Hitman (computer game series)|Hitman series]]
* [[Killer7]]
* [[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon series]]
* [[Max Payne]] and [[Max Payne 2]]
* [[Perfect Dark]] series
* [[The Punisher (video game)|The Punisher]]
* [[Resident Evil Code: Veronica]]
* [[Resistance: Fall of Man]]
* [[Serious Sam]] series
* [[TimeSplitters]] series
* [[Tomb Raider series]]
* [[Total Overdose]]
* [[Unreal Tournament]] (''Enforcers'' and ''Assault Rifles'' only)
* [[Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]] (requires ''Rank 4 Light Weapons'')

== See also ==

* [[Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu]]
* [[Lightsaber combat#Jar'Kai|Jar'Kai (Lightsaber combat form)]]
* [[Gun fu]]
* [[Gun fu]]
* [[Gun Kata]]
* [[Swordsmanship]]
* [[Main-gauche]]
* ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (one of the earliest films outside the Western genre to feature akimbo)


== References ==
==References==
<references />
<references />


[[Category:Combat]]
== External links ==
[[Category:Video game terminology]]

* A [http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/articles/newbie_guide/two_gunning.htm guide to akimbo combat] intended for [[airsoft]] but covering many practical considerations

[[Category:Video game gameplay]]
[[Category:Video game weapons]]

[[de:Akimbo]]

Latest revision as of 19:22, 9 January 2025

Mongolian soldiers dual wielding knives during skills display

Dual wielding is the technique of using two weapons, one in each hand, for training or combat. It is not a common combat practice. Although historical records of dual wielding in war are limited, there are numerous weapon-based martial arts that involve the use of a pair of weapons. The use of a companion weapon is sometimes employed in European martial arts and fencing, such as a parrying dagger. Miyamoto Musashi, a Japanese swordsman and ronin, was said to have conceived of the idea of a particular style of swordsmanship involving the use of two swords.

In terms of firearms, especially handguns, dual wielding is generally denounced by firearm enthusiasts due to its impracticality.[1] Though using two handguns at the same time confers an advantage by allowing more ready ammunition, it is rarely done due to other aspects of weapons handling.

Dual wielding, both with melee and ranged weapons, has been popularized by fictional works (film, television, and video games).

History

[edit]
A young boy in a black vest over a white shirt and a black hat raises a pistol high in his right hand and lets another hang from his left hand.
An urban proletariat boy dual wields pistols in Eugène Delacroix's painting La Liberté guidant le peuple.

Dual wielding has not been used or mentioned much in military history, though it appears in weapon-based martial arts and fencing practices.[2]

The dimachaerus was a type of Roman gladiator that fought with two swords.[3] Thus, an inscription from Lyon, France, mentions such a type of gladiator, here spelled dymacherus.[4] The dimachaeri were equipped for close-combat fighting.[5] A dimachaerus used a pair of siccae (curved scimitar) or gladius and used a fighting style adapted to both attack and defend with his weapons rather than a shield, as he was not equipped with one.[5][6]

The use of weapon combinations in each hand has been mentioned for close combat in western Europe during the Byzantine,[7] Medieval, and Renaissance era.[8] The use of a parrying dagger such as a main gauche along with a rapier is common in historical European martial arts.[9]

North American Indian tribes of the Atlantic northeast used a form involving a tomahawk in the primary hand and a knife in the secondary. It is practiced today as part of the modern Cree martial art Okichitaw.

All the above-mentioned examples, involve either one long and one short weapon, or two short weapons. An example of a dual wield of two sabres is the Ukrainian cossack dance hopak.

Asia

[edit]

During the campaign Muslim conquest in 6th to 7th century AD, a Rashidun caliphate general named Khalid ibn Walid was reported to favor wielding two broad swords, with one in each hand, during combat.[10]

Traditional schools of Japanese martial arts include dual wield techniques, particularly a style conceived by Miyamoto Musashi involving the katana and wakizashi, two-sword kenjutsu techniques he called Niten Ichi-ryū.

Eskrima, the traditional martial arts of the Philippines teaches Doble Baston techniques involving the basic use of a pair of rattan sticks and also Espada y daga or Sword/Stick and Dagger. Okinawan martial arts have a method that uses a pair of sai.

Chinese martial arts involve the use of a pair of butterfly swords and hook swords.

Famed for his enormous strength, Dian Wei, a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China, excelled at wielding a pair of ji (a halberd-like weapon), each of which was said to weigh 40 jin.

Chen An, a warlord who lived during the Jin dynasty (266–420) and Sixteen Kingdoms period, wielded a sword and a serpent spear in each hand, supposedly measuring at 7 chi and 1 zhang 8 chi respectively.

During Ran Wei–Later Zhao war, Ran Min, emperor of the short-lived Ran Wei empire of China, wielded two weapons, one in each hand, and fought fiercely, inflicting many casualties on the Xianbei soldiers while mounted on the famous horse Zhu Long ("Red Dragon").

Gatka, a weapon-based martial art from the Punjab region, is known to use two sticks at a time.

The Thailand weapon-based martial art Krabi Krabong involves the use of a separate Krabi in each hand.

Kalaripayattu teaches advanced students to use either two sticks (of various sizes) or two daggers or two swords, simultaneously.

Modern

[edit]

The use of a gun in each hand is often associated with the American Old West, mainly due to media portrayals. It was common for people in the era to carry two guns, but not to use them at the same time, as shown in movies. The second gun served as a backup weapon, to be used only if the main one suffered a malfunction or was lost or emptied.[11]

However, there were several examples of gunmen in the West who actually used two pistols at the same time in their gunfights:

  • John Wesley Hardin killed a gunman named Benjamin Bradley who shot at him, by drawing both of his pistols and firing back.[12]
  • The Mexican vaquero Augustine Chacon had several gunfights in which he was outnumbered by more than one gunman and prevailed by equipping himself with a revolver in each hand.[13]
  • King Fisher once managed to kill three bandits in a shootout by pulling both of his pistols.[14]
  • During the infamous Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight, lawman Dallas Stoudenmire pulled both of his pistols as he ran out onto the street and killed one bystander and two other gunmen.[15]
  • Jonathan R. Davis, a prospector during the California Gold Rush, was ambushed by thirteen outlaws while together with two of his comrades. One of his friends was killed and the other was mortally wounded during the ambush. Davis drew both of his revolvers and fired, killing seven of the bandits, and killing four more with his bowie knife, causing the final two to flee.[16]
Model dressed as Lara Croft dual wielding pistols

Dual wielding two handguns has been popularized by film and television.[17]

Effectiveness

[edit]

MythBusters compared many firing stances, including having a gun in each hand, and found that, compared to the two-handed single-gun stance as a benchmark, only the one-handed shoulder-level stance with a single gun was comparable in terms of accuracy and speed. The ability to look down the sights of the gun was given as the main reason for this.[18] In an episode the following year, they compared holding two guns and firing simultaneously—rather than alternating left and right shots—with holding one gun in the two-handed stance, and found that the results were in favor of using two guns and firing simultaneously.[19]

In media

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Why Dual Wielding Doesn't Work in Real Life". YouTube.
  2. ^ Castle, Egerton (2012-06-19). Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century. Courier Corporation. p. 51. ISBN 9780486138756.
  3. ^ The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome: Gladiators and Caesars, ed. by Eckart Köhne and Cornelia Ewigleben (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2000), p. 63. ISBN 978-0-520-22798-9
  4. ^ CIL XIII, 1997
  5. ^ a b Nossov, Konstantin (2009). Gladiator: Rome's bloody spectacle. Osprey. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-84603-472-5.
  6. ^ Marcus Junkelmann, 'Familia Gladiatoria: "The Heroes of the Amphitheatre"' in The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome: Gladiators and Caesars, ed. by Eckart Köhne and Cornelia Ewigleben (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2000), p. 63. ISBN 978-0-520-22798-9
  7. ^ Tim Dawson PhD (2010). Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire C.900-1204. Osprey Publishing. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-84603-105-2.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Steve Shackleford (7 September 2010). Spirit Of The Sword: A Celebration of Artistry and Craftsmanship. Adams Media. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-4402-1638-1. Retrieved 12 June 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ Clifford Rogers (June 2010). The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology. Oxford University Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-19-533403-6. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  10. ^ Agha, Ibrahim Akram (2006). The Sword of Allah: Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns. Adam Publishers & Distributors, India. ISBN 978-81-7435-467-9.
  11. ^ Jeremy Agnew (2012). The Old West in Fact and Film: History Versus Hollywood. McFarland. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-7864-9311-1. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  12. ^ Hardin, John Wesley (1896). The Life of John Wesley Hardin: As Written By Himself. Seguin, Texas: Smith & Moore. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-8061-1051-6. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  13. ^ Wilson, R. Michael (2005). Legal Executions in the Western Territories, 1847-1911: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. McFarland. pp. 43-44. ISBN 978-0-7864-4825-8
  14. ^ Texas Gunslinger, Outlaw and Lawman.
  15. ^ Metz, Leon Claire. 1979. Dallas Stoudenmire: El Paso Marshal. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. 162 p.
  16. ^ The Spell of the West: Captain Jonathan R. Davis. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 2012-10-31.
  17. ^ Jerry Ahern (5 October 2010). "18". Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed-Carry Handguns. F+W Media, Inc. pp. 135–137. ISBN 978-1-4402-1767-8. Retrieved 12 June 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ Savage, Adam; Hyneman, Jamie (November 23, 2011). "Wheel of Mythfortune". MythBusters. Season 2011. Episode 177. Discovery Channel.
  19. ^ "Hollywood gunslingers". Mythbusters - Discovery. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
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