Before starting a level, evaluate the board that will be cut. Plan your attack by looking at all of the board's sides. Check for sides that have protective metal plating that should be avoided. Note that you will not know where the shuriken appear from until the level is actually started.
Combos
When you cut the board then make another slash immediately afterwards, your combo multiplier will increase. This will multiply the current score count on the slashes you have made and can increase as long as you continue slashing. If you take too long or miss a slash, the combo will end and you will be awarded points based on the length of the combo.
Golden Buddha
Occasionally when you slash off a piece, a golden Buddha statue will appear. Tap the statue to slow down time and get easier slashes. The larger of a chunk that is sliced off, the better the chance of a statue appearing. If a statue appears after you cut off a large piece, wait awhile before you tap it to avoid obscuring your view.
Scoring
Be efficient with your slashes. You will be graded as follows.
Bamboo: The more of the board that is cut, the more points will be scored.
Slash: The less slashes used to reach your goal, the more points will be scored. Try to aim for larger chunks when possible.
Time: The faster you reach your bamboo objective, the more points will be scored. Move as fast as possible but do not hit any shuriken.
Slashing
Balance your slashes between waiting for the correct moment to slash and slashing tiny chunks as fast as possible. By creating medium-sized chunks instead, you will progress further. If you try to make a slash that would effectively destroy a shuriken, the slash will count.