Yes, the first tip for proper kitchen cutting is to make sure you have a very sharp knife. But even then, there are easy-to-learn techniques to improve your slicing, chopping, and dicing. In the below video, Cook's Illustrated's Lan Lam explains the three knife skills everyone should know.
"My default grip for pretty much all knife work is a pinch grip," Lam says. "You use your thumb and forefinger to grab the knife just above the handle. The rest of your fingers wrap around. This hold gives me a nice balance between precision and power."