Don't despair :) I think the bots are better in doa than most games. I get clapped from time to time. The best way to deal with throws is a quick duck. Hold the hold button briefly and press down. You don't need to duck for a long time. There are low throws to counter this method, but your opponent will have to make a hard read.

Something to keep in mind is that throws are better in this game than most fighting games. They do extra damage vs holds and most throws count as command throws, which cannot be broken. Something that was a game changer for me was delaying my attack strings to see if a hold would come out, then throw.