I've just recently stopped doing martial arts at my martial arts school few months ago, not exactly because I wanted to stop, but because of other (sudden) reasons. I had been training for 10 to 20+ hours a weak for approx three years in several different martial arts styles, and REALLY don't want to lose what I've learned. My first question is: Can you ever really lose or forget "it", or has my body and mind probably been taught skills I'll be able to use for the rest of my life?

I want to go back to martial arts eventually, but there aren't any other schools in the area which teach all the same styles I'd been taught before.I've looked into it and other schools are either willing to give me a high ranking belt just so I enter the school & pay, or they treat me like I don't know anything and teach me techniques and rules (which I don't always agree with) as if they were the absolute only ways to do things...Does anyone have similar experiences?

Lastly & mostly, is it possible that I might even get better if I take a break? I often find that when I get away from something for a while, I get better at, and process learned info and techniques better. Is there any chance that skills I'm learning from other sports might help me in what I've learned in martial arts (mentally and physically)?
Seriously...life often takes unexpected turns of events. If I am never able to train again, in a couple or several years, will all I've learned in those three years training go to waste?