Hits (or hit points) are the way in which damage is measured. Every melee attack or a foam dart strike inflicts 1 point of damage, and this damage will take effect in the order given below. Please note that there are many other ways of being damaged, some of which will affect your defences in different ways.
Points of damage will usually remove hits from your character in this order:
1. Energy Shields (where applicable)
2. Armour (where applicable)
3. Endurance
If your character has zero Endurance and would lose another hit, they will become Wounded.
For melee attacks to cause damage, each blow should be made with a full swing of the weapon and must successfully hit the target. Make sure you are fighting safely. All hits are global, meaning that being hit anywhere on your body will cause one point of damage to your hits as a whole, not just to the location that was hit. The exception to this is that hits to the hands and feet do not count as damage (to encourage more fair, dramatic fighting), although intentionally blocking with hands and feet is not allowed.