If he swings his elbows excessively, that's a technical foul. It doesn't matter if he makes contact, as he's already committed an offense that warrants a T by swinging them. You don't ignore the T just because there's contact.
The rule simply says that it's a T even if there isn't contact, as it's an unsporting act. That occurs whether contact is made or not.
Now, I'm off to bed!
zzzzzzz!