I should make a Standard Tactics section for Kirito huh.
Anyways, Kirito starts off not by attacking, but by analyzing his foe. He gathers info on the fly and usually starts off light to bait out anything that he can use to his advantage, then strikes with heavy force to punish.
But usually those "light" attacks consist of using a Sword Skill, which is what the Stat Amp is. Even a one-hit Sword Skill, as seen even in episode 1, can one shot something that would normally require dozens of strikes before dying. Kirito usually goes for dash-type Sword Skills to start off, mainly Vorpal Strike.