I like yedrellow's guide:
http://steamcommunity.com//sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=122109980Specifically how it talks about identifying what you're bad at and then exposing yourself to it.
"While I was learning the game for example, I was having a problem with being kickslashed. Rather than switching to a longer range weapon to decrease the chances of being kickslashed, I switched to a fighting pick (very low reach for those unfamiliar) and learned how to avoid kicks using that weapon. If I had avoided that problem by using higher reach weapons, I would still have that vulnerability."
Pretty straight forward, but it's worth a read.
All the good players I know started on the local native duel server using 1h only, losing over and over until they eventually became familiar with the animations. Like most others have said, 1h is the best way to start as it doesn't encourage reliance on back pedaling and high damage as much.