Stop

중지 (jungji), meaning "stop" or "suspension", is the call a referee (심판원, simpanwon) makes to interrupt a kumdo bout. Under the match and refereeing rules posted by Korean dojos, a suspension is made by the referees' declaration (선고, seongo), while resumption is declared by the chief referee (주심, jusim).

• Flag signal: the signal for 중지 is raising both flags straight up.
• Who may call it: any referee. In an urgent case an assistant referee (부심, busim) may also signal and declare it.
• What the competitors do: on hearing 중지 they stop at once, return to the starting line (개시선, gaesiseon) and receive the chief referee's declaration or instruction.
• Resumption: the competitors take the middle stance (중단세, jungdanse) on the starting line and resume when the chief referee declares it.
• Competitor's request: a competitor who can no longer continue because of an accident or similar cause may request a suspension. The chief referee declares 중지 and then asks the reason. If the request is judged unjustified, the referees confer (합의, habui). Requesting a suspension without justifiable reason is listed among the prohibited acts (반칙, banchik).

The All Japan Kendo Federation rules list the cases in which referees suspend a bout: a foul, an injury or accident, danger prevention, a competitor being unable to handle the bamboo sword (죽도, jukdo), an objection, and a referees' conference. The English-language regulations state that the time from a suspension until the bout resumes is not counted in the match time.