Posture Breaking

The game is fantastic. What a mechanically unique and beautiful thing.

Now I need to git gud...

Do I keep deflecting (L1) until his posture breaks and THEN hit him back (R1)?

I realized I was just holding down block constantly like an idiot and then wondering why I was getting hit (my posture was breaking).

However, I'm confused about whether or not to even look at the enemy's health bar at all... it seems like posture is the only thing that matters since that's what determines the deathblow.

What happens when an enemy's posture remains intact but you're about to kill him in health? Is that a deathblow as well?

I guess I'm understanding the game, but these are my main questions right now. When do I know when I can hit back? And when do I know when to stop hitting? Is it when he parries ME? How do I know when this happens?

I know every enemy is different. Is it really just remembering all the "ding ding dings"? Like a beat in a song?

Ex: 123... 12... 1234

Thanks, guys 🤙