Thanks! You are right on the money in all your judgement and it sounds like you got good at the game. Only like 2-3 people reached that stage and were able to see through the lack of depth and control.
I'm working on improving the controls, so shooting will get some love too.
Out of curiosity what was your score? Parrying everything is one thing (not many people reach even that skill), but making it all connect is something that makes me wonder if I should put more emphasis on it.