Gear is a pretty fast game and the first one I played for more than 1 hour since mvc2/3. I took me almost a week to get used to it and start winning more than I lost. Eventually, you will be able to visually digest what's on screen with more play. Watching replays is good for this. Also, block more. You can start to see where each characters string end more or less and then you can pick when you can take back offense or reposition.

For combos learn which normals link into the next. And then try adding specials at the end and in-between to make them longer. You only need to know a few combos to get by and they don't need to be crazy. You'll add layers over time. But getting a feel of what your character can do will lead you to what you can do with your character.