Of course martial arts are sexy. They involve being fully present in your body, the physiological indicators of arousal (increased heart rate, faster breathing, flushing, sweating, etc) are all present, you and your partner are paying attention to each other with an intensity that's otherwise rare except in sexual situations, you and your partner probably feel camaraderie and respect for each other, you're challenging each other, and you feel strong and powerful and competent, because you are strong and powerful and competent.

Karate is certainly a huge time sink but I got just as much writing done when I was training six to ten hours a week as I do now that I'm not training at all (for medical reasons.) You make time for the things you value most.

Regarding the issues with you and Delia and Fiona and your family and so forth, maybe you should cross those bridges when you come to them. If you love something, you shouldn't let it go for hypothetical issues that may or may not ever arise.

One more thing, regarding the possibility of getting hurt: I've gotten some minor injuries from sparring, none of which required medical attention. So why am I out of karate for four months and counting? A car accident. You really never know what can happen, but my feeling is that the health benefits you'll accrue will outweigh the minor injuries and unlikely but possible risk of a serious injury.