Hi All

I have received a Chinese Elm bonsai plant and have spent the last few weeks just watering him to let him settle in as well as reading books, watching YouTube videos, reading websites like this one etc.

I think I'm ready to start pruning a branch but am unsure which approach would be best to correct what I see. I have a branch off the main trunk of the tree, the end of which has three branches all pointing back toward the rest of the tree and starting to poke into other branches. My question is do I prune the branches themselves, and will this possibly get other branches to grow from the same spot, hopefully this time pointing in a better direction as in figure 1?
Or do I take the branch back like in figure 2 as pruning the branches won't correct that problem?

Edit: The branch itself is only about 2 1/2 inches long, not as huge as it appears in the picture.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Figure 1.


Figure 2.

Either should work.
If you want to change the shape of the end of the main branch then use the second method. If you want to change the location of the branches, use the second method. If neither of those, use the first.

It is impossible to comment without seeing the whole plant from all sides.

welcome to the empire.

Trimming is done for a reason. The goal determines how / what to cut. Naturally, a bit of wire can also adjust the angle.
Not knowing you tree.. I would shorten the branch to the next bud.