Kickboxing Gym Near Me in Buona Vista: Evolve MMA at The Star Vista

Evolve MMA Star Vista is a kickboxing gym on the second floor of The Star Vista mall at 1 Vista Exchange Green #02-26A, Singapore 138617, and the doors open at 6:30am on weekdays. That early start is the whole point of this branch. It serves the engineers, researchers and NUS students who live and work around one-north, and the first classes of the day finish in time for a shower and a 9am stand-up. Buona Vista MRT, where the East-West and Circle lines meet, is a two to three minute walk away.

Founder Chatri Sityodtong tells the story himself on the Evolve website: on November 14, 2008, he walked into an empty room with a bare cement floor in Singapore with a few Muay Thai fighters from Thailand. They built the ring, assembled the cage, laid the mats and hung the heavy bags themselves, and the first Evolve location opened in January 2009. Sityodtong later founded ONE Championship, the Singapore-based fight promotion.

Today Evolve runs three academies in Singapore, at Raffles Place (18 Cross Street B1-08), Orchard Central (181 Orchard Road #06-01) and The Star Vista, plus Evolve EmSphere in Bangkok and the Evolve University programme. The Star Vista branch is the one built for the west side of the island, and the club's own page pitches it at professionals and students who want to train before work, after work or between classes.

Evolve describes its kickboxing programme as a blend of Muay Thai and K-1 Dutch-style kickboxing. In practice, you will not find a class called Kickboxing on the Star Vista schedule. The timetable that took effect on 1 August 2026 lists Muay Thai, Muay Thai Sparring, Boxing, WarriorFit conditioning and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so the striking you are looking for sits under the Muay Thai label, with knees, elbows and clinch work added to the punches and kicks.

The instructor list for the kickboxing programme reads like a Lumpinee Stadium honour roll. It includes Sagetdao Petpayathai, Penaek Sitnumnoi and Chaowalit Jocky Gym, all listed as Muay Thai world champions, along with Rungnarai Kiatmookao and Kaotaem Lookprabat. Evolve says its Muay Thai programme is the largest of any gym in the world, including camps in Thailand. That claim is the club's own, but the depth of the bench is real.

The Star Vista academy is open Monday to Friday from 6:30am to 11pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 9pm. On weekdays the August 2026 schedule puts Muay Thai and Boxing at 6:30am and 7:30am, runs lunchtime Muay Thai around 12pm and 12:30pm, and fills the evening from about 7pm, with the last Muay Thai classes starting at 9:45pm. Open Gym blocks between classes let members work the bags on their own.

Children have their own track. Little Warrior and Little Samurai take ages 4 to 6, Muay Thai Kids and BJJ Kids cover ages 7 to 9, and MT Preteen serves ages 10 to 13, mostly in late-afternoon slots and on weekend mornings. If you are an adult beginner, avoid the slots labelled Muay Thai Sparring at first. Book a regular Muay Thai class, and save sparring until a coach suggests it.

Every new student starts with a 30-minute Complimentary Introductory Class. Evolve's FAQ says to come in a T-shirt and shorts. It also says you will never be forced to spar, and that anyone who does want to spar does it under the strict supervision of an instructor.

Evolve does not publish membership prices on its website, and this article does not quote any. Pricing is discussed after the intro session, so go in knowing roughly how many classes a week you can manage. The FAQ says women make up roughly 30 to 35 percent of students across the academies. It also says most staff and instructors are certified in CPR and AED.

The branch lists 15 Muay Thai heavy bags shipped from Thailand, competition-grade MMA grappling mats from the United States, a kettlebell and TRX station, and Thai pads, low leg pads, punching mitts and skipping ropes for classes. After training there are 15 individual shower units, locker rooms with 100 lockers and free Wi-Fi, which matters if you arrive at 6:30am and walk straight to the office.

Evolve's own FAQ sorts its students into three types. The Fun Junkie wants a workout that beats a treadmill and some real-world self-defence, the Martial Artist wants to learn the art from champions, and the Fighter is chasing amateur or professional bouts. At Star Vista, the kids' timetable means weekend mornings also bring parents, since the young classes run in the late afternoon and on weekend mornings.

If you want pure K-1 style kickboxing, with punches and kicks only and no elbows, Evolve is a Muay Thai house first, and you should expect the fuller Thai rule set in class. If your schedule is the problem, though, few gyms in Singapore open this early or sit this close to an MRT interchange. The trade-off is cost transparency: with no public price list, you only learn the monthly figure at the desk, so skip the trip if you need to compare prices online before committing.

Plan B is easy. If the Star Vista timetable does not fit, the Raffles Place and Orchard Central academies run the same curriculum on their own timetables. Raffles Place suits anyone working in the CBD, and Orchard Central is the better pick if you live closer to town.

From Buona Vista MRT (EW21/CC22) it is a two to three minute walk to the mall. Buses stop at Buona Vista Station Exit D (stop 11369), two minutes away, and at Buona Vista Flyover (stop 11361), four to five minutes away. Drivers can use the on-site Star Vista car park, or The Metropolis car park at 9 North Buona Vista Drive, a six to seven minute walk.

After an evening session, ride the Circle Line one stop to Holland Village for dinner along Lorong Mambong. Or walk the other way into one-north, where the Fusionopolis and Biopolis towers light up after dark. The Star Vista also houses The Star Theatre, so on show nights the lobby fills with concert-goers as your class lets out.

Address: Evolve MMA (Star Vista), 1 Vista Exchange Green #02-26A, The Star Vista, Singapore 138617. Email: info@evolve-mma.com. Hours: Monday to Friday 6:30am to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 9pm. Bring: a T-shirt, shorts and a water bottle for the free 30-minute intro class. Ask the Karpo APP to line up an early class and a Holland Village dinner on the same evening.