Kung Fu Kendra: Scaling Online Course Creation with HeyGen’s Hyper-Realistic AI Avatars

Kendra Mahon, better known as Kung Fu Kendra, has created the world's first and only fully online (from beginner to instructor) Wing Chun Kung Fu certification course, made possible with HeyGen.

Rather than limiting her teachings to in-person training, she has harnessed the power of AI and video technology to bring Wing Chun to students worldwide.

By creating a hyper-realistic avatar of herself using HeyGen, Kendra has transformed her video production process to be faster, scalable, and highly engaging. This has allowed her to build a thriving digital education business, producing professional-grade courses in days instead of months. 

See Kendra’s unique and impressive avatar in her first free lesson.

Community editors note: Kendra is sharing her workflow, expert tips for creating an avatar and advice for content creators below. Thank you, Kendra, for sharing your incredible avatar videos and tips with the community! 

From Traditional Filming to AI-Powered Content Creation

Before HeyGen, Kendra followed the traditional course creation process. This involved filming herself, managing lighting, recording voiceovers, and spending hours editing. The full process could take up to six months to complete a single course. 

Now, with her hyper-realistic avatar, Kendra has completely automated the time-consuming parts of video production.

“I can now generate an entire course in a fraction of the time,” Kendra explains. “I use HeyGen avatars to handle most of the talking, AI-generated scripts for content, and video tools like iMovie and Pictory to polish everything. What used to take months now takes days or even hours.”

Her new workflow:

1. Script Generation: Using ChatGPT or Perplexity AI to create course content.
2. Voice Recording: Recording her voice using a teleprompter app and extracts the MP3 in iMovie.
3. Avatar Integration: Uploading the MP3 to HeyGen, where her AI avatar delivers the lesson.
4. Video Editing: Combining her avatar clips with b-roll footage from Pictory and additional self-recorded content in iMovie.
5. Marketing & Sales: Using her avatar-powered videos in sample course content, FAQs, and promotional materials to attract students.

The result? Kendra’s streamlined workflow has allowed her to create 15+ courses in just two months, a pace that was previously unimaginable. Her courses are available on Udemy, Etsy, and her Wing Chun Online Certification site, generating passive income while offering students high-quality martial arts instruction from a Sifu (Kung fu master).

Sifu Kendra Mahon’s Expert Tips for Creating a Hyper-Realistic Avatar

Step 1: Start with High-Quality Footage

The better the input, the better the output. I made sure to film multiple takes in consistent lighting and positioning, experimenting with different angles to see what looked the most natural.

Step 2: Record Multiple Video Samples

Don’t settle for the first version. I uploaded different video samples, reviewed the results, and tweaked the details. Sometimes, small changes made a huge difference in realism.

Step 3: Perfect Your Setup

I worked with an experienced videographer for initial set-up tips, so he helped me get the lighting and framing just right. Good lighting is everything—it makes the avatar look crisp, professional, and lifelike.

Step 4: Fine-Tune Until it Looks Just Right

Once I had a solid base, I used HeyGen’s tools to refine my avatar. I tested different renderings, adjusted details, and made sure it felt natural and engaging. The final version looks so good that people don’t even realize it’s AI!

The quality is so good that students focus on the lesson, not the tech behind it.

Advice for Aspiring Course Creators

For anyone looking to monetize their skills online, Kendra’s advice is to leverage AI to turn your expertise into a business faster than ever before. 

“If you have a marketable skill, AI can help you turn it into a business. With the right tools, you can go from idea to income faster than ever before.”

Tips for Building a Profitable AI-Powered Course:

1. Invest in creating a high-quality avatar 
2. Use AI to streamline all steps of the content creation process
3. Incorporate avatar videos across platforms in lessons, sample videos, FAQs, and marketing materials
4. Diversify your sales channels by selling courses on Udemy, Etsy, and your own website 

Want to learn from Kung Fu Kendra?

1. Explore her Wing Chun Online Certification Course
2. Join the HeyGen Community Forum to connect with creators like Kung Fu Kendra