Are fluid ripostes, then, sort of like... attacks which, if they fail, can be used as defense? So that your blade, while it is attacking (trying, as you said in your video, to beat your opponent to an attack), is also in place to parry the opponent's attack if necessary?
actually, no. They are quite literally attacking and parrying at the same time. If your blade comes down at a certain angle and is timed just right with the opponents in coming attack, the single arc will both parry the blade and continue to reach the target.