Think of a great kung fu movie like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The battle sequences could be described as "not hitting" time and time again.
The somewhat generic and forgettable fantasy show Legend of the Seeker had many flaws but one thing they got right was the decision to hire dancers and not actors for the battle scenes. They directors brought in people who could actually bend backwards at the waist to avoid a sword swipe and it was great.
Larian did a great job with the menacing attack, would be see the defensive maneuvers be as visually compelling.
