[Helborn]

I think you're looking at Parry as a block - interspersing your weapon between yourself and the attacking weapon. But a true parry simply deflects the attacking weapon so that it misses - it can shorten the arc, change the arc, change the vector - all sorts of things. A Main-Gauche can do all of those things regardless of the mass of the attacking weapon. Same with shields, the best use of a shield is to deflect, not block. Blocks are very cinematic but they use up the shield very quickly. Parries can be done bare-handed - but you REALLY have to be an expert

I think is the concept behind the extra dice to attack an expert or a master. They have learned parries.