I have read the thread about the japanese method for pruning container figs for max production.  I've got several trees that are a few years old, and I"m getting ready to air layer them.  But I want to prune them appropriately, and I don't know on a few of the branches if I should cut them or not.  According to the info on that thread, I should leave a node or two between the main scaffold branches.  Even if they're branching in different directions??  Here are pictures of a few of them, and I've marked the branches I'm wondering if I should cut, but am reluctant to do so.  

    
 
The next one is most confusing for me.   Should I trim the marked area because it's growing down?  Then the branch angles off instead of going straight up:  Is that considered a scaffold branch or the main trunk?  Should I cut the branch underneath it (3rd from bottom)?  Will I ever get another scaffold branch growing to the left?  Advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 
  
  

Please take an overhead/straight down picture of these trees if possible as well for us. Then more and better advice can be given. I'm sure you will get plenty of different responses.

did you see this 

 

Yes, that is the diagram and instructions that I am questioning.  

Here are the trees from the top, in the same order:
 
 

 
Here's another one for good measure.  It seems like such a nice shape, but are the branches too close together?  And apparently that v-shape is not ideal, according to the diagram.  But it looks so symmetrical, and most of my others aren't!

 

Here are some things to keep in mind.
 
-As long as branches aren't crowding each other out and can get direct sun on the leaves, then the branches can be productive. You may not get that perfect shape in the first year or 2 of training.

-Fig trees grow like palm trees, you get leaves on new growth only. A 2-3ft branch that only has productive growth on the end is wasting a lot of potentially productive space. You need to prune or pinch the end somewhere so you can get some lateral fruiting branches going.
          - Beyond the apical tip, look at what direction your dormant growth buds are facing on the scaffold branch, below where you plan to make your cut before doing so. Personally I try find  a  place where I have three consecutive nodes with dormant buds that face in favorable directions then make my cut above them.
              - Optimally the top one growing straight out/away from the center of the tree and then the other 2
                  would be at about 90 degrees from the first one and 180 degrees from each other.
                   The dormant buds will be slightly off center of the old leaf and fruit scars or next to any breba which may be forming.

-Down turned and spindly thin branches are rarely productive and prone to weakness, so they are always good candidates for removal.

- If you have a tree which the main trunk is taller than you'd like, plant it deeper on your next up pot. I've done it with most of the fig trees I started with and they suffer no ill consequences because of it.

Amanda,

I think the important diagram in that sequence is the bottom right,shown from above.That is an idealized view of what you want to see around year 2-3 if bush form is your goal.The important thing at this stage IMO is symmetry in your primary scaffolding branches.There's nothing wrong with a V shape because you can fill the space in your secondary scaffolding.Here's one I've been fussing with this year.

 
View from above.

 
This structure will be pruned once more,creating a permanent 8 branch scaffolding,filling those voids.It's on those 8 branches that all the fruiting will take place,this lower structure will be shaded out by next year.

You're never going to get perfection,these are fruit tree's,not bonsai.I think photo 2 you take out the apical center growth and you're good to go.Photo 4 already has good structure,I'd remove the branch growing back into the center and tighten up the secondary scaffolding once you see branching going into the area's you want to fill.

Tyro hit the nail on the head. Symmetry or, at minimum, balance is the key to good pruning. There is no real instruction manual for how to do it. Remove branches that dip below 10 and 2 on a clock, remove diseased wood, remove crossing branches, and that's about it for guidelines. You know you have a good pruning structure if the branches thicken up and you have a wine-glass shaped branching structure for your tree. Don't be afraid to experiment! 

Thank you everyone, I've already made a few cuts based on your recommendations, and will get a file to make some notches with (or would a saw work just as well?).  How about the tree in the top pictures?  Everything seems fairly symmetrical and evenly spaced, but is 5 scaffold branches too many? 

Never mind, I took another look and eliminated one of the 5 branches that was growing in the same direction as another.  I also cut off all of my apical buds/leaves, which was scary because nothing else is budding yet.  I hope I didn't misunderstand the directions and kill the poor trees!

OK, am I supposed to prune every single apical bud on any branch that I want to produce more branches??