In my experience once you get a long sword just walk backwards while spamming the perfect parry button until everyone around you dies

Though they're a little different, the trick is to have played enough Mount and Blade that you'd never tell anyone how much you've played Mount and Blade.

By that I don't mean mythical skills honed in combat. I mean cheese. Eventually the combat does click, though.

Once I reached the part where I could use the practice field with whats-his-name, I just grinded that for like 90 minutes until the combat made sense to my fingers

Just go full samurai, and by samurai I mean horse mounted archer.