If you start holding shift while standing still, then using wasd, your character will do a short dodge. If you keep holding shift while moving, you will go faster, into somewhat of a run.
Along with that, holding shift puts you into a combat stance.
Holding mouse 1, but not moving your mouse to swing your sword, you will ready your sword. Depending on where you place your sword with your mouse, you will fall into different guards.
There is a parry assist in place where depending on where you're holding your sword/guard, you will automatically place your weapon against theirs , which means you can swing it against their sword to parry or block.
Tripping is pretty easy in this as well. Not as in tripping the opponent, but yourself. Remember, you're controlling a physics-based person. People have feet. If you've ever tripped, which you have, you know that it's pretty easy to trip yourself if you do weird movements.
So don't try to do inhuman movements. It's not like in other games where you can just move in any direction instantly.
There's momentum in every movement. You will never stop without that momentum going somewhere, whether that's your body, or your weapon.