Hi Everyone, I'm new here, but I thought I'd offer my view. The tip of your elbow is made of cartilage ... if you hit something hard (like some bad guy's skull) with the very tip, you can break it. We teach to strike with the hard surface just above the tip of the elbow. Now, if your'e striking into soft tissue, the tip of the elbow might be just the ticket to end the fight. I use the tip against ribs and things that flex a lot.