Relearning Lessons

I was pushing hands with a fellow student and he was trying to teach me about how to lock in my opponent's force and then use it against him. What he told me reminded me very much about my experience learning pushing hands in Japan, and it seemed to be a repeat of those same things that I have learnt, such as having to link my hands and feet. And thinking back, maybe the same mistakes are still being made.

But it is the same question again: Is it enough to just learn this, or should I step through what my teacher has been teaching and eventually reach this stage? The first seems like the "quick fix", allowing me to quickly learn how to use my opponent's force against him. But stepping through the steps/stages seem to be more... rooted. Is there meaning in taking things one step at a time, or is achieving the end effect everything there is to this?