You might think holding a cat should be simple, but it’s not. That’s because cats can be squeamish so you don’t want to hold a cat the wrong way or else you could hurt it or yourself trying to hold it.
Basically, the best way to hold a cat is by supporting its weight while keeping its claws and teeth away from your face where it could rip out a chunk of flesh if it feels threatened (such as seeing a leaf blow by). The general idea is to make the cat feel safe when being picked up, held, and let go.