Agree with bud gal - the only reason to remove foliage, aside from topping, is to increase airflow and light within your plants. In your case you don’t have a bushy plant, it is pretty sparse. You would want more foliage rather than less.
I find that the leaves on the main stems, where the branches grow in the point where it connects (growth node), help bootstrap the early growth of that branch. I usually keep those leaves even when my plant is bushy. I will strip off the ones towards the bottom only after the plant is growing strong and only to allow a space at the bottom for air flow. If they are not blocking air flow and not in danger of dragging on the ground and getting wet when I water the plant then I often leave them. The tutorials tell you, when mainlining, to clear all foliage below a certain point when you top the plant but I think it is better to leave it on for a while to help with the shock of topping the plant.