True, but as most catchy names go, this one is a bit more nuanced than it might seem. No-till gardening (and no-till farming) is not about *never* tilling the ground. It's about escaping from a regular yearly or biannual cycle of tilling, which tends to deplete nutrients, biological activity, and moisture from the soil. In general, the goal of "no-till" (and the real world results in some cases) is soil that gets *more* productive over time instead of less, while simultaneously decreasing or alleviating the need for fertilizers and other soil amendments.
But tilling it at the beginning to create ideal starting conditions for such a no-till approach is allowable and encouraged.
No-till is about preserving existing soil. If the ground you have is nearly impenetrable clay, the motivation to no-till doesn't exist. You can't lose what isn't there. There's nothing at all wrong with stirring up a bed of clay in order to develop soil and integrate organic matter, aerate, etc.
But tilling it at the beginning to create ideal starting conditions for such a no-till approach is allowable and encouraged.