Based on the analysis of experimental results, the rock damage model and the damage coupling model suitable for the whole rock breaking process with water jet were established with continuous damage mechanics and micro damage mechanics, and the numerical method was developed with continuum mechanics and the FEM theory. The rock breaking mechanism with water jet was studied systematically with numerical simulation for the first time in the field of water-jet rock breaking. The numerical results agree with the experimental ones which shows that the presented method is reasonable and can reflect the reality of water-jet rock breaking. The conclusion can be applied in practice.