Crab Defense, also known as the Crab Shell or Crab Style, is a style of fighting primarily used in boxing. Variations of this style include the Cross-armed Guard and Reverse Cross-armed Guard, as well as the Philly Shell or Michigan Defense. Crab style fighters Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pernell Whitaker, James Toney, Sugar Ray Robinson, Bernard Hopkins and Nicolino Locche are widely considered some of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. Crab style is considered one of the oldest styles in modern boxing, but variations of this defense are used in several martial arts.
Stance Crab style relies primarily on a bladed, or side, stance. The fighter gives the appearance of using a sideways motion towards the opponent which resembles the sideways movement of a crab. When the crab style is used in certain martial arts, however, such as Muay Thai or Mixed Martial Arts, the fighter often adopts more of a squared stance to defend against leg kicks.
Guard Variations of crab style use different guards including:
Cross-armed guard
This guard uses the rear arm (right for an orthodox fighter and left for a southpaw) in a cross block position with the rear glove near the lead shoulder with palm towards the opponent. The position of the lead arm (left for an orthodox fighter and right for a southpaw) is greatly varied. The lead arm can be placed under the rear arm horizontally or diagonally in front of the face. This is used for reducing head damage often at close range. The only head punch that a fighter is susceptible to is a punch to the top of the head. The body is open if the guard is kept high, but fighters who do this bend and lean to protect the body. The lead hand can also lie low, protecting the body.
The forearms and elbows can be used to block, or the palm of the gloves can be used to catch or parry punches The head is titled towards the rear shoulder to keep the head off of centerline, and to make space to use the shoulder to block. The lead shoulder is brought in tight against the side of the face.
This guard is versatile and can be used while moving or leaning forward, often from a crouched position with a front foot heavy squared stance. Meaning that the now protected head of the boxer, is a closer target than the body. This guard is also effective in a bladed stance, while moving or leaning backwards to block an opponent's counterpunches after a missed punch, to shoulder roll, or to set up counterpunches.
Reverse cross-armed guard
The forearms can be placed on top of each other horizontally or diagonally in front of the face with the lead arm (left for an orthodox fighter and right for a southpaw) being on the top of the rear arm with lead glove over the rear shoulder in a cross block position. The position of the rear arm (right for an orthodox fighter and left for a southpaw) is greatly varied when it rises vertically from being low to cover the body or high to help protect the head. Boxers sometimes switch from a cross-armed guard to a reverse cross-armed guard, often while slipping and rolling. The reverse cross-arm guard was used extensively by boxer Gene Fullmer, and used often by sport karate fighter Linda Denley when fighting from an orthodox stance.
Philly shell or Michigan Defense
The lead arm is placed across the abdomen, below the rear arm, to protect the body. The head is titled towards the rear shoulder to keep the head off the centerline, and to make space to use the shoulder to block. The lead shoulder is brought in tight against the side of the face with the chin tucked. The rear hand can be placed next to the chin close to the rear shoulder, in hook cover position, to defend against hook punches, placed in a cross block position, with the rear hand over the lead shoulder to protect against straight punches, or on the centerline to be able to rotate between a hook cover, a cross block and a punch catch.
The term Philly Shell refers to Philadelphia fighters who use this guard such as George Benton, Bernard Hopkins and Tim Witherspoon. Whereas the term Michigan Defense refers to Michigan fighters known for this defense such as Floyd Mayweather Sr., Roger Mayweather and James Toney.
Advantages - Most boxers use this defense with the rear hand on centerline with the thumb pointed towards the boxer at chin to sternum level. This allows the boxer to rotate between a hook cover and a cross guard or punch catch. The advantages of this guard are that it provides passive defense against straight punches and uppercuts to the head and body. The high lead shoulder also protects the chin against straight punches and hooks towards the boxer's lead side. This guard also provides two lines of defense with the lead arm used to wedge block or elbow block and the rear hand to punch catch, cross block, leverage block or hook cover. This defense also provides a more universal defense than most other defenses. For example, a wedge block can defend against both a jab and a cross, compared to the classic guards which often require highly specific responses to these same punches. The low lead hand makes it difficult for an opponent to see and defend against the jab and lead hook.
Disadvantages - The disadvantages of this style are that the rear side does not have a passive defense against hooks, but with the head tilted towards the rear shoulder creating distance and the head off of centerline this gives the boxer time to employ an active defense against hooks. While the lead side uses the high shoulder to block hooks this covers the chin and jaw, but does not provide passive defense against punches to the temple. Opponents may attempt to exploit these disadvantages.
Fake jab, lead hook - when boxers are in a closed stance the opponent may fake a jab, baiting the boxer to reach for the jab in a punch catch position with their rear hand, then throw a powerful lead hook before the boxer can move to a hook cover position. This is, however, often ineffective as the boxer can instead use a wedge block or elbow block to block the jab, leaving their rear arm free to hook cover.
Jab to body, overhand to head - another example is an opponent using a jab to the body then a rear overhand to the head. In this case the boxer's arm across the abdomen acts as a forearm block against the lead jab. This, however, pins the boxer's arm against their body and prevents the boxer from being able to use a wedge block, elbow block or shoulder roll against the rear overhand. The boxer, however, has numerous counters to this. The boxer can move or lean back after blocking the jab to the body causing their opponent's rear overhand to miss. The boxer can throw the straight cross immediately after blocking the body jab on the forearm causing their opponent to abandon the overhand and use their rear hand to defend that straight cross. The boxer could also elbow block the jab to the body, instead of taking it on the forearm, this keeps the arm from being pinned and would put the boxer in a position to shoulder roll their opponent's rear overhand. All of these counters were used by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his win against Shane Mosley who tried this several times in their bout, but lost by unanimous decision.
Counter jab with rear overhand - in another example from the closed stance, opponents may wait for the boxer to jab, then try to throw a rear overhand as a counter to the jab. As the boxer has their lead shoulder up to jab they cannot use that to shoulder roll the rear overhand to the head. This, however, can be countered by using a cross block while jabbing to defend the rear overhand.
Defense
The crab style uses traditional boxing defense such as slipping and the bob and weave. It also uses defensive techniques largely unique to this style in boxing, but which are found in other martial arts.
Cross block
The cross block is often done with the rear arm (right for an orthodox fighter and left for a southpaw) but can also be done with the lead arm (left for an orthodox fighter and right for a southpaw). In a cross block position with the rear hand, the glove is over the lead shoulder with either the full palm, or the hypothenar eminence, facing towards the opponent. Using the lead hand the glove is over the rear shoulder with either the full palm, or the hypothenar eminence, facing towards the opponent. With the cross block the glove is usually used to block straight punches, but the forearm can also be used. The forearm and elbow can be used to block uppercuts, and the glove and elbow can also be used to block hooks.
Wedge block
The wedge block is also known as the horizontal forearm block or leverage block. In Karate this block is called Age-uke, and in Taekwondo it is called Ulgul Makgi or Olgul Makki. This block is used primarily with the lead arm to defend against straight punches, and overhands by moving the arm upwards towards the incoming punch. It can be used against hooks by moving the arm up and outwards towards the incoming hook, or outwards to jam uppercuts in boxing. It is also used against kicks in martial arts.
Shoulder roll
Crab style fighters often make use of the shoulder block and shoulder roll.
Shoulder block — a defensive technique where a fighter uses their shoulder to deflect or block punches, usually the opponent's straight punches like a right cross or a southpaw jab. The fighter positions their lead shoulder high, tucking their chin behind it. The shoulder is rolled forward to meet the incoming punch, deflecting it away from the head and body.
Shoulder roll — to execute the lead shoulder roll a fighter rotates and ducks (to the right for orthodox fighters and to the left for southpaws) when their opponents punch is coming towards them and then rotates back towards their opponent while their opponent is bringing their hand back. The fighter will throw a punch with their back hand as they are rotating towards their undefended opponent. The rear shoulder roll can also be used where the fighter rotates and ducks (to the left for orthodox fighters and to the right for southpaws) when their opponents punch is coming towards them and then rotates back towards their opponent while their opponent is bringing their hand back.
Elbow blocks
While boxers who use the conventional guard, high guard, or Peek-a-boo style use their elbows to block their bodies, crab style fighters are unique as they also use the reverse elbows to block their heads. The reverse elbow block can be used from a shoulder roll position. The reverse elbow block also functions as an intermediating position between a wedge block and a shoulder roll, allowing a boxer to move from a reverse elbow block to a wedge block or shoulder roll.
Hook cover
A hook cover is a defense against a hook punch where a boxer raises their hand up, bending the elbow as if answering a phone creating a position where the glove covers the head against the hook. The chin is also tucked while covering. The boxer may also slightly lean the upper body away from the incoming hook, coordinating this lean with a small step or shift in their weight to maintain balance and create space for a counter. While hook covers are a common defense in boxing, crab style fighters are unique as they primarily only use a hook cover to defend against hooks to their rear side. From a closed stance a crab style fighter must turn their waist towards the incoming hook while using a hook cover to be able to shoulder block, shoulder roll or elbow block a follow-up cross. If the boxer does not turn their waist the hook will pin the boxer's glove to their head making them unable to turn their waist to shoulder block, shoulder roll or reverse elbow block a follow up cross, with the low lead this will leave them open to being hit by the cross. While a hook cover is common among crab style boxers, it is less common among crab style fighters in other martial arts as it is less effective against kicks.
Punch catch