The Elbow Block is a block using the elbow, the sharpest joint on the human body. It is used to reverse the impact of a punch to the offender's fist. This was first used by Mashiba Ryo to block the powerful body blows of Makunouchi Ippo. It was effective enough to break Ippo's hand, though in the process it disabled Mashiba's left arm. This is the only drawback of the technique. It was also used by Ricardo Martinez against Date Eiji in their second bout to block the Heart Break Shot. This again resulted in a broken fist for the offender.