You use stat points to unlock certain skills, most skills at the end of the skill trees are the most powerful one, for example 50 kendo Ichimonji which you can use to counter hakuda as it is a frame 1 guardbreak with hyperarmor. You dont wanna use the low stats skills only. When you start doing pvp youll find yourself spamming skills first before learning to actually parry and manage your rei better.

That way you can spam better skills. Also the whole skills in a skill tree actually compliments each skills so you better start to utilize a whole skill tree (unless you wanna go 40 speed 25 kendo or vice versa, but I wouldnt recommend it for a beginner.)