Would you quit?

[LuciferRising]

Been doing a martial arts for 5 years. I also have recently started another.

Every single week I keep thinking I will quit my first one. It is very formal. I get stressed out about whether we'll spar in a lesson, or whether I'll forget my patterns, and with having to remember all the theory. I've not graded for 2 years because I don't feel ready; they are big things. I've dropped my session to one a week. I spend more time dreading going, than enjoying the lesson.

The only thing is, the school really improves my fitness in a way my new school doesn't, and it does create good martial artists. If I quit I feel like I'm giving in.

I don't feel any of this dread with the new school, I feel like I'm good at it, and I prefer it. But I don't think it is as polished at all.

Yet again, I'm dreading this weeks lesson, but for some reason I can't make myself quit. Any advice?

Yes. I would.

It's a hobby and supposed to be enjoyable. If you aren't enjoying it then quit.

I guess I could freeze my membership for a few months and see how I feel.

Exactly what I keep telling myself, yet I find I end up in the lesson just to see how I feel. Been going on for over a year! My DD quit last year.

Do you get a sense of accomplishment from going to the harder sessions? Will you feel disappointed if you plateau and lose fitness? You need to figure out what your objectives for doing it are. Do you want to get better/graded or can you be happy to do your best at the first session and know it's helping you? Or are you just in it for fun fitness? Quit and know you're still doing more than nothing and you can always rejoin?

Freezing your membership might be a good compromise. If you're dreading going then it might be worth having a break and reevaluating when you've had some time to think. You say the school produces better martial artists - how important is that to you in the longer term? With regards to fitness, there are plenty of exercise classes or other hobbies you could pick up that would fill that void for you.

I do this MA x 1 a week and the other 2 x week. I'll keep going to the other.

The thing is, although this school produces better MA, I have to be realistic. I will never compete and I'm in my 40s so I won't improve significantly unless I put the time in. And it's so serious.