When you join a kalari you may find at first that you are alone, just struggling to grasp the basic salutation forms and some of the basic solo forms.  Then perhaps in the 5th or 6th training session you can expect to try your hands in the first practice fighting sequence. (this is the case of the thekkan or southern kalari system. In the northern or vadakkan system this may take much much longer, until you have mastered all the meyppayattu sequences). Again you will find it a little bit difficult to cope with the "new level" of stress.  Then the guru or Asan will ask some of the senior members, in fact in some cases he may assign someone to train with you. This someone is your Jodi or training partner. If you are fortunate enough there will be  another new comers just like you searching for a partner. Whether you find a training partner who is as junior as yourself or some senior one, it is very important to develop a healthy relationship with him. Because he is a very important person for your training. Why? As  you advance in the kalari training, you need some live target to practice with. Unless you learn to hit something live, something that can evade your attacks and strike back, you will not advance in martial training. Certainly,  the solo forms are the corner stones of the kalari training. But to get into the fighting mode, to try out the movements that you have learned by practicing the solo forms you need a partner. And the choice of the right or wrong partner can decide your future in kalari training.

If there is a choice select someone who lives in your neighborhood or someone with whom you can arrange convenient "off kalari training sessions". Select some one who will reach the kalari before you and try to be there before him. The advantage is that both of you will be at the kalari earlier than other students so that you can have some free time with the Asan and clear your doubts. With an enthusiastic partner it is possible to avoid excuses like bad weather, late nights or just some bad days on which you do not feel well. The very thought of your Jodi-training partner awaiting you at the kalari will make you go there. And remember to provide some inspiration to him on  the days when he doesn't feel well to train. When one of you feel lack of energy or enthusiasm the other can put in some of his own. In my younger days I made it a habit that I would be the first one at the kalari. And on the way to the kalari I would go to the home of one of my senior partners and take him along with me. In this way both of us had the opportunity to train at the kalari while the kalari was almost empty. The Asan himself would train with us at this time and I got so many extra tips and most important the personal attention of the Asan. Then we would compete for supremacy in techniques that we have learned. We will try to beat each other in chuvadu or solo forms. We will start each solo form together and will try to beat the other on the finish. We weren't competing to defeat each other but were trying to create an environment that helped both of us to improve. Our speed increased  Our techniques became more perfect. Our strength level increased. And more than anything else we finished each day with utmost satisfaction and went to bed looking forward to another resourceful day. 

Even while having your best friend - the Jodi in the kalari,  both of you should make a habit of training with as many people as possible. While you train with someone else, your Jodi can watch your movements and later while training with you, can suggest corrections/modifications. You will do the same back to him.  In olden days it is said that the training partners trained together, ate together, traveled together and were even willing to scarify their own lives to save that of the others. There are any number of stories in the folklore about such jodis. In modern days, even when you cannot go that far try to choose a partner with whom you can train as much as you want. A bad partner means that you either become bad in kalari training or that you give up training. Try to avoid persons who lack enthusiasm in training. You will find many good natured persons in a kalari who are genuinely interested in kalari training but keep away from actual training. These people will be at the kalari almost every day but they usually spend their time talking and discussing about kalarippayattu and any other subject of their interest. Avoid such persons as far as possible. Your life is the one irrecoverable resource that you have. Make use of each day to the maximum. It is impossible to get back  the time that is lost. Your training time is very very important to you. A right Jodi can help you to utilize it to your advantage.