Akimbo - Definition and Overview

In computer gaming, weapons are akimbo if identical weapons are held in each hand. This usually refers to handguns (many first person shooters have such weapons as "berettas akimbo" or "pistols akimbo") but can refer to any other weapon that can be held in one hand (e.g. "akimbo MP5's")

This particular version of "akimbo" is derived from Japanese. The word is used in traditional samurai texts to describe a particular class of samurai that wielded two swords, one in each hand. The word acquired its current slang usage via fans of action director John Woo, who used the word to describe his trademark style of wielding two handguns at once. It has since entered into the computer gaming lexicon as well (this etymology is mentioned in the book Hong Kong Action Cinema (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0879516631) by Bey Logan).

The most common definition of "akimbo" is "in a position in which the hands are on the hips and the elbows are bowed outward", or "bent"/"bowed" in a more general sense (e.g. "the sailor sat with his legs akimbo"). While etymology is uncertain, the Middle English kenebowe (again meaning "bent"/"bowed") is a likely predecessor.

In role-playing games (especially computer RPGs), holding two weapons with one in each hand is called "dual wield".

Additionally Akimbo is the name of a Video On Demand company that allows subscribers to download television shows, movies, and other video to a set-top box on demand. Akimbo is the first fully functional marriage of TV and the Internet, combining easy access to new and fresh shows with the comfort of watching them on your TV. Akimbo is the first step toward the blissful future of being able to make your own TV line-up. Its hard-drive-equipped set-top box plugs into your broadband connection and stores the full-resolution programs you’ve selected using Akimbo’s TiVo-like guide. The initial content is a bit eccentric—Turkish-language shows, independent films, British dramas from Granada TV, a lot of skin flicks—but you’ll also find CNN and the Cartoon Network among the offerings from its 50 content partners, and more are signing up all the time.