I went with Fists too myself. Instantly fell in love with it on the tutorial island! If you ever need tips on Fists, feel free to ask! Although you'll find yourself sticking to one weapon soon enough.
It can be a bit hard and not as optimal to jungle between two different weapon types on your first play through. Fists are best for KI damage, so that'll be your primary focus. Human enemies cannot keep up with it.
Another tip regarding burst counters - you can also use it to get out of the exhaustion/out of ki state. Either use a Yokai ability or just the burst counter itself. The second option works best with Feral.