Noooooooooo!!!!
Take it from a guy who tried defoliating (that'd what they call it, use the search function and "defoliation" and you'll see tons of threads about it.
The leaves hold sugars and starches, and that's where all the flavor comes from, and the energy for growth of the plant. Don't be afraid to take them off after the plant starts to let you know its done with them (later on, when its bigger, and there isn't light penetrating to the bottom). Trust me, leave most of them on, if not all of them.
Defoliation may work for some but in my experience it does more harm than good.