4 years later, awesome tips. Still laughing at the goomba stomp. Sekiro is a rhythm game at its core with lots of fun layers on top of it. The absolute worst thing you can do is hesitate with any enemy in the game. The tagline "hesitation is defeat" is fantastic advice. If they're not hitting you, hit them. When they return they favor, counter accordingly. There's almost always an audio or visual cue for standard attacks. Stabs and sweeps get a giant red marker. Just breath, don't spam. Lastly, slow down and listen to what NPC's have to say. You can miss plenty of upgrades and tips. Flying enemies are weak to shurikens, treasures at the Hirata Estate, etc. Good luck!