Chinese calligraphy is extensive, profound and has a long history. It has important historical and cultural value and is also the essence of Chinese culture. But the writing method is also very particular. Wrong writing method will not only affect the improvement of calligraphy art, but also affect people's health, leading to myopia, cervical spondylosis and other problems. From ancient times to the present, there have been many different ways of writing. According to the late famous calligrapher Mr. Sha Menghai's research on the writing postures of ancient paintings, the ancients used the three-finger method to write calligraphy. Because people at that time sat cross-legged on the ground, and some even sat with their knees on the ground, with their buttocks sitting on their kneeling legs. At that time, there were no benches or tables, only machines like coffee tables. Because the machines were very low, you had to hang your hands when writing. This method was spread to Japan and has been followed to this day. In the coming era, tables, chairs and benches began to become popular, and living habits also changed accordingly, and the writing method also changed to the five-square writing method. Su Dongpo, the great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, still used three fingers to write. At that time, someone pointed out that his writing method was wrong, but he said, "There is no set method for holding the pen, it must be empty and wide." That is to say, there is no certain standard method for holding the pen. Just be flexible. Another example is the pen-grip method, where you use your palm to grasp the entire pen barrel and write. The pinch method is to put the fingertips of five fingers together and hold the tail of the pen barrel to write. There are many ways to hold a pen in the ancients, but the most widely used one, which can also be said to be generally accepted, is the five-finger pen holding method of "pressing, pressing, hooking, pushing, and resisting". Writing calligraphy is accomplished using coordinated movements of fingers, wrists or elbows. To complete the writing of stipples purely by moving your fingers is called "finger movement". The movement of the wrist to complete stroke writing is called "wrist movement". The coordinated movement of arms and elbows to complete stroke writing is called "elbow movement". When writing in Xiaokai or Cunkai (one-inch square regular script), rest your wrist (the movable part where the base of your hand is connected to the lower end of your arm) on the table. The thumb and index finger holding the pen should stand diagonally beside the pen, and your palm should be as upright as possible. When starting, the back of the hand and the tabletop form an angle of 70 or 80 degrees, which the ancients called "off-flat palm vertical". A flat circle like a "phoenix eye" is formed between the index finger and thumb holding the pen. This way of holding the pen is called " Phoenix Eyes". When writing large characters that are two to three inches square, you cannot use the pillow-wrist method. Firstly, the range of finger movement is very small and it is impossible to write large regular characters. Secondly, if the finger is moved too wide, the pen will fall over, which will cause disease. It should be written using the wrist movement method. In the wrist movement method, the wrist must be suspended, the palm of the hand should be relaxed naturally, and the back of the hand and the table should be at an angle of about 45 degrees. If you are writing larger characters, use the hanging wrist method, because it is easy to write crookedly when writing vertical paintings with your elbows resting on the table. Therefore, when writing large characters, your arms must be raised. Even if you are writing two or three-inch square regular script, practicing with your arms hanging is quite beneficial. When writing large characters, not only do the arms have to be suspended, but also the person has to stand up to write. At this time, the palm of the hand holding the pen should also be gently relaxed, and the back of the hand and the arm should be in a plane, parallel to the tabletop. The ancients called it "flat-covering style". At this time, the wrist is completely let go and can move left and right up and down freely and flexibly. When writing large characters, it is completed by combining elbow movement and wrist movement. Except for small regular script, we do not agree to purely use finger movements to write calligraphy. Some people practice writing Chinese regular script with their elbows hanging. Although their arms and wrists are suspended, they are still in a static and rigid state. They still use their fingers to complete writing, and the pen barrel tilts seriously. This loses the meaning of hanging elbows. When hanging elbows, you should move your fingers as little as possible, and focus on wrist and elbow movements.
It is worth mentioning that the penholder does not always have to be perpendicular to the paper. During the writing process, the penholder can tilt slightly naturally, but the amplitude should be small. Generally, the penholder should be tilted frequently when writing regular script. Stay vertical.