No worries.
I think any different control scheme will be unintuitive. All you need, I think, is to give people enough time to get used to it, preferably without pausing every 5 seconds to look up the moves!
Regarding the analog stick: you're probably right, since you've tried it. Either way, it shouldn't hurt to implement it and give people the option? (not sure how much work this is, maybe it's simply not worth the trouble). But the button presses may also become easier with more use, so no pressure there.
Haha yeah, I meant the perfect strike.
I definitely think the biggest problem is feedback. Once the player knows what's going wrong, it's easier to correct.
Will do, good luck!