Kaisho
Kaisho Regular writing
Reisho 隷書 and Sousho 草書 are styles that were already consolidated and well defined in China towards the end of the Han Dynasty 漢朝 (206 BC to 220 AD) and during the first years of the Three Kingdoms period 三國時代 (220 to 280 AD) and made calligraphy become THE MOST IMPORTANT ART IN THIS COUNTRY. But still, a new style is about to appear to become the standard form of writing and this is the Kaisho style 楷書. In the 4th century, calligraphy is at its peak and is one of the six most important subjects at the National Academy (educational body established by the government) during the Tang Dynasty 唐朝. This makes calligraphy be used as a tool to discover and select new talents, using it as a system of evaluation and qualification of knowledge, helping the development of the psychological study in order to understand human behavior through an analysis of writing. It is in 1972, in the province of Hunan, where the first vestiges of this new writing are discovered, dating back to 170 BC and found in the bamboo books or Mokkan 木簡, which as its name indicates, refers to tablets made of bamboo strips with writings on them. It is here where we begin to see that transition from the Reisho style with its characteristic features of "worm's head and chicken's tail" becoming simpler, achieving more direct and thicker lines.
There are many styles within Kaisho, ranging from very agile and elastic forms to powerful, large and very balanced ones. But in general terms, Kaisho is characterized by a rectangular, angular and firm form, and is governed by very precise rules. One of the most well-known and important Kaisho study theories is called Eiji Happou 永字八法 or “the eight laws of the character Ei 永”, by the Buddhist monk Zhi Yong 智永. That is why it is also known as “the eight principles of Yong”. The kanji Ei 永, which translates as “eternal” or “long”, and which for the Chinese and Japanese is related to the capacity for resistance and perseverance, was taken for its study because it contains eight fundamental strokes or Happou 八法. From the combination of these strokes, another twenty-nine strokes emerge that form the basis for the complete study of this style. Studying it is a real challenge that provides valuable tools to those who practice it and at the same time contributes to a better understanding of the differences and main characteristics of the other calligraphy styles. Perhaps for this reason, Kaisho is the first style that a new student begins to practice before moving on to the cursive styles, leaving the practice of the old styles as the last step. This is a type of study order, but it is not the only one, this varies widely between schools and/or teachers. It is true that each person, by nature, tends to feel “more comfortable” practicing some styles than others at the beginning, but I always recommend my students to observe the Kaisho form before practicing other styles to understand the why of its forms and how some of its strokes join or disappear, how to change and distribute the balance of the character, among other issues related to forms and gestures. Text written by Elena Hikari
