I'm best with Taki's move-set, although I only use my own character. For the most part, I just use kicks. They can be unpredictable and fast if you do them right, so I get a lotta hits in.
You can also flip behind, or to the sides of the bad guy to disorientate them, or close in on them.
The only problem is the range and damage, but with all the hits you can land the damage isn't a huge deal. Plus there's some attacks that hit the bad guy while he's on the ground.
-------
If dogs could talk, this is what he'd say.