To break a compress Pu Erh always start from the side as it is easier to break from there. Use a Pu Erh knife or Pu Erh pick to help you pry some leaves. Insert the pu erh knife into the edge of the cake or brick. If your cake is too hard like a tuo cha you can used a pu erh pick to support your tuo cha will inserting the pu erh knife.

Gently work it up and down until the tea loosens and falls off. This will usually break a chunk of tea from the cake or brick.

You can then remove the loose chunk from the tea cake or brick. You can break the chunk easily by hand now.