What Are Resting Wrist, Suspended Wrist, Suspended Elbow and How to Choose?

Understanding the differences between resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow techniques is straightforward for experienced Chinese calligraphy practitioners. However, many beginners find themselves confused about these fundamental hand positions.

The main questions beginners ask are: What exactly are resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow techniques? Which method should I start with as a beginner – resting wrist, suspended wrist, or suspended elbow?

What Are Resting Wrist, Suspended Wrist, and Suspended Elbow?

Let me explain each technique with clear descriptions to help you understand the differences between resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow.

▲Resting Wrist (Zhenwàn枕腕)

When writing, you place your left hand (palm down) on the table and rest your right wrist on top of your left hand for support. Historical records suggest this resting wrist writing method first appeared during the Song Dynasty.

▲Suspended Wrist (Xuánwàn 悬腕)

This suspended wrist technique involves lifting your wrist off the table while writing. Some sources incorrectly state that “the elbow also leaves the table” during this technique, but that’s not quite accurate. If your elbow is also lifted off the table, you’re actually using the suspended elbow technique instead. The suspended wrist method is believed to have originated during the Tang Dynasty.

▲Suspended Elbow (Xuánzhǒu 悬肘)

When writing with this suspended elbow technique, both your elbow and wrist are lifted completely off the table surface. Historical records indicate that calligraphers during the Wei and Jin periods used the suspended elbow method even for writing small characters. This means calligraphy has used the suspended elbow technique from its very beginning.

Japanese calligraphers still maintain the suspended elbow writing habit today. This is because they traditionally work at low tables while kneeling or sitting cross-legged, which naturally encourages this elevated arm position.

According to historical accounts, the Song Dynasty master Su Shi preferred the resting wrist technique. He combined this with a special type of brush with a firm core (you can learn more by reading this article “How Ancient Chinese Brushes Were Made and Materials?”). This resting wrist writing style resulted in dramatic variations in his stroke thickness and created his distinctive bold, powerful character style. In contrast, Mi Fu, another Song master, flexibly used all three techniques – resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow – giving him much greater versatility in his hand movements.

Resting Wrist, Suspended Wrist, or Suspended Elbow: Which Should Beginners Choose?

Now let’s return to the original question: which technique should you start with when learning Chinese calligraphy? Should you use resting wrist, suspended wrist, or suspended elbow?

Let me share my personal experience first. When I began learning calligraphy, my teacher had me stand up and practice using the suspended elbow technique right away. The teacher explained this would help me write large characters and truly understand how to control the Chinese brush. To be honest, there’s a significant difference in brush control between writing large characters (around 5-6 inches tall) versus medium-sized characters (around 1-2 inches) or small characters (less than an inch).

However, for most people learning without a teacher, I recommend starting with the resting wrist technique. Here’s why: when you first start practicing calligraphy without any foundation, your hand will shake quite a bit. Your wrist will feel inflexible and sometimes won’t respond the way you want it to.

Using the resting wrist method provides stability and reduces shaking – similar to how a camera tripod reduces shake when taking long-exposure photos, resulting in clearer images.

After practicing for a while, once your wrist becomes more flexible and steady, you can try removing your supporting left hand and lifting your wrist off the table to practice the suspended wrist technique. At this stage, your elbow might still rest on the table for support. Gradually try lifting your elbow off the table too to transition to the suspended elbow method, but don’t raise your arm too high above the paper.

Continue practicing this way for some time, then slowly transition from sitting to standing. Stand with your feet slightly apart and practice writing with the suspended elbow technique.

Choosing Between Resting Wrist, Suspended Wrist, and Suspended Elbow Based on Character Size

For most people who write regularly, the choice between resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow often depends on the character size:

• Small characters (around 0.5-1 inch): resting wrist
• Medium characters (around 1-4 inches): suspended wrist
• Large characters (signboards, banners): suspended elbow

However, this isn’t a strict rule. Experienced calligraphers with very stable hands and wrists sometimes choose between resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow based purely on how they feel at the moment of writing.

Take Master Qi Gong as an example. When writing similar-sized characters, he sometimes used the resting wrist technique – even for fairly large characters (though “large” here refers to the maximum writing area reachable while using the resting wrist method; writing characters several feet tall would be nearly impossible with the resting wrist technique). Other times, he chose the suspended elbow technique instead.

Historical records also mention that Wen Zhengming continued using the suspended elbow technique to write small characters even in his eighties. This level of skill can only be described as absolute mastery – allowing him to do as he pleased. Just imagine how tiring it would be to write 0.5-1 inch characters with the suspended elbow method!

In the end, I believe the best approach is whatever method – whether resting wrist, suspended wrist, or suspended elbow – ensures comfortable, fluid writing that feels natural to you. If you can write small characters with the suspended elbow technique, that’s truly impressive – it demonstrates that your body, arm, and elbow-wrist joints have exceptional sensitivity and control over the brush. At that point, your calligraphy skills have definitely reached an advanced level.

Final Thoughts from Qi Ming on Resting Wrist, Suspended Wrist, and Suspended Elbow

These are Qi Ming’s personal observations about resting wrist, suspended wrist, and suspended elbow techniques. If you notice any errors or have different perspectives, please feel free to correct me. I also welcome everyone to share their thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.