What is Understand?

True, self-understanding comes from figuring out, for ourselves, the how and why a technique will yield the Desired result.  True understanding is being able to say in our own words, "I do [this move] like [this] because it makes [that] happen."

There is a huge difference between being given an explanation and self-understanding.  Others do have wisdom and it is worth listening to but it is not worth memorizing.  It is worth pondering, consisting and reflecting.  Let that be the starting point but not the end.  Otherwise we are left with memorizing the explanations that others have given us.

When something is memorized it's compartmentalized and not internalized.  It is disconnected from our own comprehension which means we cannot truly Learn the skill.  Only properly understood skills will easily adapt to other circumstances.  When we think we are in the latter of the Eight Stages but find a dead-end it is typically due to something we fail to understand.

Only a skill that is fully understood is foundational, adaptable and can be mastered