$('document').ready(function(){
    $('form').validate({
        rules: {
           a: {required:true, minlength:2},
           b: {required:true}
        },
        messages: {
           a: {required: "enter your name!"},
           b: {required: "enter the date!"}
        },
        errorPlacement: function(error, element) {
        if(element.attr('name') == 'a'){
             $('#name').html(error);
         }
         if(element.attr('name') == 'b'){
             $('#date').html(error);
         }
        },
        success: function(error){
            //a: {$('#name').html('nice name!');},
            //b: {$('#date').html('nice date!');}
        },
        debug:true
    });
    $('#a').blur(function(){
        $("form").validate().element("#a");
    });
});

<form action="#" id='commentForm'>
    <input type="text" name="a" id="a">
    <input type="text" name="b" id="b">
    <button type="submit">Validate!</button>
<div id="date" style="border:1px solid blue;"></div>
<div id="name" style="border:1px solid red;"></div>
</form>

success: function(label){
    label.addClass("valid").text("Ok!");
},

$('document').ready(function(){
    $('form').validate({
        rules: {
           a: {required:true, minlength:2},
           b: {required:true}
        },
        messages: {
           a: {required: "enter your name!"},
           b: {required: "enter the date!"}
        },
        errorPlacement: function(error, element) {
        if(element.attr('name') == 'a'){
             $('#name').html(error);
         }
         if(element.attr('name') == 'b'){
             $('#date').html(error);
         }
        },
        success: function(label) {
            var parentId = $(label).parent().attr("id");
            switch(parentId) {
                case "name":
                    $(label).html("nice name");
                    break;
                case "date":
                    $(label).html("nice date");
                    break;
            }
        },
        debug:true
    });
    $('#a').blur(function(){
        $("form").validate().element("#a");
    });
});

$("[name='ConfirmCode']").valid(); // RETURNS true/false

if (!$("[name='ConfirmCode']").valid())
   return;

$('form').valid(); // RETURNS true/false

$('form').validate({
   ignore: []
});