is total cutting to the ground.. proper.. or should a rejuvenation system be used????

if you went in.. and selectively removed half.... this year.. half next year... you wont risk total loss ....

vids on pruning and propagation: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Kolkwitzia+propagation&t=ffcm&iax=videos&ia=videos

I don't know Ken, if to the ground is right or not. My issue is that it's been pruned leaving many branches a foot long, 3 feet long, etc. and now I have a bunch of stumps in the center of the shrub. A friend pruned it for me the last time and the crown of the shrub looked fine, but the middle and base of it, looks like something better should have been done. I just thought, maybe starting over and allowing for fresh growth from the base would be the best thing, but on the other hand, sometimes that doesn't give the result you want either. I don't know what other rejuvenation system is an option.

Last year I did selectively remove some of the branches, and this year it looks sparse and still has that awful base with all the stumps collecting dead leaves. It's a mess. I should take a photo and post it.

Thanks.

https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/resources/wp-resource_search.php?term=1441

Nice link, thank you! :-)