word for getting hit in the head, lowering your neck and raising your shoulder? (shrug?)

i am looking for a word that describes the action of lowering your head/neck and raising your shoulder as if being hit by a board or in this example, a frying pan.

all i can think of is shrug, but that doesn't sound exactly right.

Cartoon image of a cat whacking another cat in the head with a frying pan


I was going to recommend flinch, but in the process of looking up the definition I found something better:

Squinch:

  1. flinch
  2. to crouch down or draw together
  3. squint

You might go with "Duck!" Most people seem to think ducking something is a sort of bowing motion from the waist, but I've never seen anyone do that. When people go to duck something, whether it's a frying pan or a thrown ball, if they aren't ready and expecting it, they usually do something like that motion in the picture.