In my opinion, defoliation is a big mistake, completely unnecessary and most probably, even harmful to the plant.
Just remember -
Maximum amount of healthy green leaves = maximum energy production = maximum growth!
I only ever remove yellow leaves, for by the time they are yellow, they have served their purpose.
I would suggest that if your plant did not need those leaves, it would not have grown them in the first place!
Grusse, Organoman.