Well first of all, try out his awakening. It's really good. Some combos I usually do with him are neutral combo until the third hits the opponent with 2 pole hits, then instant awaken and you can infinite loop by going out of the IA at the same point.
Also, he's slow so he's perfect for using the counter. When you see the opponent dash at you, don't counter, but see how they play. Some people do a dull dash, and a lot of,more experienced players do a dash where they stop in front of you. If they stop in front of you, use your throw. Also, when you ninja dash, throw your chakra shuriken and then dash towards the opponent. They'll likely dash after you dash at them while they are guarding, then you can use a counter there,