If your opponent kicks, step around and kill him. If you are getting kicked twice by same person, you have failed, not the mechanics of the game. You must remember, more powerful than all the weapons, is STILL your brain. Use it. Opponent who kicks, dont step into him, unless it is ONLY to bait the kick, run across him, past the foot, overhead from behind, dead enemy. Stab from behind, dead enemy. Kicks are not risk free, only risk free vs players who stack too much strengh to move around, and in that case you are a nub for trying to rely on 1hitting with your strengh build, remember: Agility is the really powerful stat, theres a reason it got massively nerfed, huh?
Goons and noobs build strengh, pros build agi: You will survive a lot longer by not getting hit than you will with a few extra hitpoints.