An elbow is another of man’s hard bony surfaces that can impart lots of force to a target. Indeed they do cut easilly- I’ve seen it happen a few times (once to Clyde). They are good tools for groundfighting. They can cause just as much, if not more damage, than the fist and you don’t risk damaging the small bones of the hand. I read an interview with an old muay thai master, and he said elbows are all you need (although in muay thai a cut can end a match).
I don’t know if its part of krav, but I also train elbows in different ways to damage the limbs in defensive ways. These motions are not really fight enders, but they are definitely some of the most painful defenses available. Against repeated knee strikes, I drive the point of my elbow into the thigh to block. Against haymakers, I check the forearm with the palm of my rear hand and cover with the lead elbow, which ends up spiking into the bicep area. The crazy monkey type covers can be used to deflect punches, or to use the elbow point to impale punches. These covers can also be used to spike and ram opponents from a covered position. Another cover called a dracula can also be used to bridge the gap. Elbow covers can be used to attack offending limbs or cover up as you spike into the opponent. These tactics also work into the use of small knives in a reverse grip.
Basically, just because something may not be an immediate fight ender (and elbows definitely may be) doesn’t mean its not worth training.
