This is all totally fair and good advice.
For whatever it's worth, I got this all from this book http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Practical-Encyclopedia-Bonsai-step/dp/0754821803
Which lists this as aplant that can be grown indoors (having seen the controversies on this sub), and has something that looks a lot like this on page 146, so I thought I was in fair territory for being in the right ballpark.
This thing was a 1/4" cutting about 2 years ago and has almost doubled in girth and tripled in height in those two years, so... really, 25 years?
The #4 bit clarifies a lot for me. I thought the training all had to happen as it was growing. If it need to be mature first, then I've definitely had the wrong take away, and sort of want to throw this book out now.