The answer is “It depends.” Why? Because whether you need to understand the science or not depends upon your desire to teach and your desire to maximize your performance. Why can’t you just mimic what you see? Because there are a lot of minute details you cannot see. Martial Science is unique in that it is much more than merely a series of strikes or hitting a simple known target. That level of application will only take you so far. Without greater attention to detail, you simply won’t be able to reach the deeper levels of the art. Let’s look at this in more detail.

Let’s say your goal is to become an instructor. Certainly it would seem to make sense that you should understand the “how” and the “why” of how techniques work. If you intend to teach students, you will need to be able to explain to them how the techniques work and be able to provide corrections that will increase their skills. When students ask for help, simply saying “I don’t know” does not inspire a lot of confidence. So, instructors should have a fairly thorough understanding of the underlying science at least to a level to be able to answer student questions and help them reach a moderate level of skill.

Moreover, many of the subtle improvements you can make to a technique require an understanding of the science. Let me give you an example. When I do an S-Lock technique, I don’t just hold the attacker’s hand tightly and flex the wrist. This produces a painful response but is far from optimal. Understanding the directions of energy movement through the Small Intestine and Large Intestine meridians allow me to apply pressure in the proper direction and manipulate the Fire and Metal meridians, allows me to increase the “Fire Burns Metal” effect. Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and how it relates to the technique produces far greater effect.

Maybe you don’t believe in TCM. That is okay. If you apply the principles outlined above, you can still get the effect. It is not based upon a placebo effect so belief is not essential. Instead it is the same science upon which Acupuncture is based. It has been around for a couple thousand years.

Add to the above a basic understanding of neurology and you can get additional response via things such as a Stretch Reflex related to Golgi Tendon Organs (GTO). Application of this knowledge leads one to understand more about how vibration acts to improve effects. Although we don’t have the opportunity to do a deep dive here on vibration, it has mechanical, energetic, and neurological implications to the technique. For those who understand Physics, resonance and harmonics also play a role.

If you only want to be a practitioner and not an instructor and you are happy with only a rudimentary understanding, it is possible to get a practical level of skill without any understanding of the sciences as long as your instructor understands. Many of the early masters were only capable of performing the technique. There is a popular saying “Give someone a fish and feed them for a day; teach them to fish and feed them for a lifetime.” Same is true here. If you are only able to mimic mechanical movements you can observe, then that is your limit. You will have NO ability to apply knowledge to other techniques you have not seen or been taught. You will be severely limited and entirely dependent upon an instructor to teach you. For some this fine, but for many others they will want to be independent at some point.

As Professor Rick Moneymaker says “Knowledge is not power. Application of knowledge is real power.” The more you know, the better you will be. Unfortunately, we live in a “fast food society” that wants quick rewards with little effort. If that is the case, the student will always be extremely limited in what they can achieve. There is simply no substitute for hard work and study. With that said, don’t be a “paper dragon” and do nothing but read; you must also put in sweat equity as well.

There is much more I would like to say, but to avoid a “tldr;” (“too long didn’t read”) situation, I will stop here for now. Ultimately it is up to you how far you want to go in any study and those who put the most effort in will always reap the greatest rewards.