No you don't. There are a few handlings taught on the dvd.
My favorite handling is the color changing card. It's a visual clean color change and the gimmick does all of the work.
There is also a penetration that you can do that is a bit more difficult but you don't need to perform any thing as difficult as a mercury card fold.
That said, there is a handling for a signed card to cellophane that requires some more advanced sleight of hand. If you want to do that effect as taught you need to be comfortable with advanced sleight of hand like the mercury card fold.
There's much more that this gimmick lets you do though.
If you have more concerns or need me to get more specific contact me at: josh@penguinmagic.com
Josh